CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Church of England: Finance

Norman Lamb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners whether the Church of England pension fund has rules to avoid making investments in companies involved in the sale, distribution and manufacturing of weapons and defence equipment.

Stuart Bell: The investment decisions of the Church of England Pensions Board are informed by the work of the Church of England's Ethical Investment Advisory Group whose policy advice precludes investment in companies which supply defence platforms, weapons and weapons systems. Investment in non-offensive systems including avionics, radar, sonar, instrumentation, components, military IT and software, as well as refit and commissioning of military systems, is permitted under the policy advice as long as a company's exposure to such work is less than 25 per cent. of turnover.

Church of England: Pay

Norman Lamb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners whether staff involved in management of the Church of England pension funds are eligible to receive bonuses for their work.

Stuart Bell: Church of England Pensions Board staff do not receive bonuses. Staff employed at outside firms involved in the management of the Pensions Board's assets do receive annual bonuses based on their own performance and the profitability of their employers.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Security

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many security passes to the Palace of Westminster were issued in each category in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Between 4 March 2008 and 4 March 2009, a total of 10,413 parliamentary passes were issued across 26 different categories. These figures include new passes and those issued as replacements due to loss, damage, expiry or change of post. The following table summarises the six main categories of pass:
	
		
			  Pass category  Number issued February 2008 to February 2009 
			 Members 138 
			 Peers 177 
			 Staff of Members and Peers 2,297 
			 Staff of the two Houses 2,690 
			 Government Department staff 2,342 
			 Other categories 2,769

TRANSPORT

A3: Hindhead

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the cost of the A3 Hindhead improvement  (a) with and  (b) without twin-bored tunnels under the Devil's Punch Bowl; and how much is expected to come from public funds.

Paul Clark: The latest estimate for the A3 Hindhead improvement currently being constructed is £371 million, of which all is to come from public funds. There is no estimate for a scheme without the twin-bored tunnels under the Devil's Punch Bowl.

Aviation: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will bring forward proposals to give legal force to the target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from UK aviation to below 2005 levels by 2050;
	(2)  whether aircraft emissions will apply  (a) in total and  (b) net of trading and offsetting for the target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from UK aviation to below 2005 levels by 2050.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In announcing its target to bring UK aviation carbon dioxide emissions in 2050 below 2005 levels, the Government asked the Committee on Climate Change to advise on the best basis for its development. The committee is due to report by December 2009. Once the Government have received the committee's advice, they will determine the best basis for taking the target forward.

Aviation: Fuels

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in the light of the incident at Birmingham airport on 14 May 2008, what steps he is taking to ensure that aviation fuel is not contaminated by biofuel.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Aviation fuel supplied to aircraft must be fit for purpose. Ultimately, fuel companies are responsible for supplying fuel to their airline customers which is within specification and they have arrangements in place to deliver this. Procedures for handling aviation fuel at airports and other aviation fuel facilities have been developed by the Joint Inspection Group, a Joint Venture company formed in 2002 by fuel supply companies. Following the Birmingham airport incident last May, fuel suppliers carried out a detailed investigation and took appropriate corrective action. The Joint Inspection Group issued revised handling procedures and recommendations which were endorsed by the International Air Transport Association and circulated internationally.
	Government Departments including the Department for Transport, Department of Energy and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Defence, are working closely with stakeholders in the fuel supply industry, aircraft engine and airframe manufacturers, airport operators, airlines, and safety regulators to track developments towards a higher permissible biodiesel component level, monitor developments with testing methods, and monitor the application of the existing testing regime in the aviation fuel supply chain.

Bus Services: Northumberland

Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Government subsidy Northumberland county council is receiving for bus transport in 2008-09.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport supports the provision of bus services by means of rural bus subsidy grant, which is now paid to local authorities as part of their area-based funding; £859,321 has been allocated to Northumberland county council in 2008-09.
	In addition, the council has received £56,517 in 2008-09 for the Plus 518 Rural Bus Challenge (RBC) programme.
	Local authorities also support local bus services using funds from the Department for Communities and Local Government's formula grant.
	The council has been allocated integrated transport capital funding of £3.3 million for 2008-09. Allocations are not ring-fenced and local transport authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities, including on bus transport.

Catalytic Converters

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number and percentage of catalytic converters in the UK which meet the emissions standards required by EU Regulations 715/2007 and 692/2008 on vehicle emissions.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Based on information supplied by the replacement catalyst industry, the Department's impact assessment on draft regulations which will implement Article 11 of EU Regulation No 715/2007 assumes that 80 per cent. of replacement catalytic converters sold in the UK in recent years do not currently meet the original type approval emissions standard. For the vehicles which are subject to the Regulation's replacement catalyst requirements (petrol cars and vans meeting Euro 3 and 4 emissions standards) an overall catalyst replacement rate of 5 per cent. per annum is assumed. On this basis some 127,350 replacement catalytic converters are estimated to have met the original standard in 2008. A copy of the impact assessment may be found at:
	www.dft.gov/uk/consultations/openconsultations

Departmental Absenteeism

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost as a result of such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on those days.

Geoff Hoon: Non-medical absence is managed locally so this information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; for which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each contract are held; and how many people have their data stored overseas in the case of each such contract.

Geoff Hoon: The following table lists the information readily available. It represents the current position and details are liable to change as, for instance, new contracts are signed, or old ones end. The table provides a summary of three contracts let out by the Department and three by its agencies, where the Department is the data controller, that involve storing data overseas.
	
		
			  Description of the contract and in which country  Approximate number of citizens who have their data stored overseas 
			 Pearson Driving Assessments Limited processes and backs up personal data on theory test candidates in the US on behalf of the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). (1)4,909,374 
			 Highways Agency (HA) uses Gallup for staff satisfaction surveys, some personal data on HA staff are stored in the US for conducting the survey purposes. 3,500 
			 The Department contracts Siemens to deliver a public inquiry service the back-up arrangements for which include the storage of staff business contact details by RightNow Technologies in the US. 2,300 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) have contracted with PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct staff surveys. Staff's personal data are stored in Germany. 217 
			 The Department has a contract with Bravo Solutions who use Asite Ltd. to run a web-based system for tendering purposes. Data are held in the UK and backed-up to the US. 149 
			 The Department are using GeoStats for conducting a survey of travel patterns of individuals who have volunteered to take part. The data collected will be processed by GeoStats in the US for up to 6 months before being returned to the main UK contractor Up to 150 
			 (1 )As of 17 December 2008.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many headcount additions above the agreed headcount target in the Gershon Review have been made in his Department since 2004.

Geoff Hoon: The Gershon review set headcount reduction targets for the central Department and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, to be met by 31 March 2008. Both of these areas successfully met their targets and the latest figures indicate that their headcount remains within the agreed levels.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his Department in 2008-09 to date.

Geoff Hoon: Costs incurred on reimbursable expenses in 2008-09, will be available only when the Department for Transport's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2009 summer recess.

Departmental Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which his Department has responsibility in the last five years who previously had careers in the banking industry.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport does not hold this information centrally. The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has provided voice coaching to any of its employees in the last 12 months.

Geoff Hoon: 12 members of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency staff attended a media skills course, which involved training in how to speak for radio and TV. No other instances of voice coaching were recorded by the Department for Transport and its agencies in the last 12 months.

Departmental Video Conferencing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings  (a) he,  (b) other Ministers and  (c) departmental officials undertook using teleconferencing equipment in 2008.

Geoff Hoon: A total of 216 video conferences were held in the Department for Transport (Central) in 2008, but no records are kept of the individuals attending so the breakdown requested cannot be supplied. No figures are available for the agencies as they do not keep records of usage.
	No details are available for telephone conference usage as records are not kept.
	The Department for Transport and its agencies encourage the use of both video conferencing and telephone conference facilities as a first option, in order to save time and travelling expenses where possible.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which  (a) he,  (b) other Ministers in his Department and  (c) his Department's senior officials undertook in 2008.

Geoff Hoon: Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the financial year 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 102WS, and for the first time, included details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the "Ministerial Code".
	The Department for Transport does not record travel expenses for senior officials separately from those for other staff. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Diesel Trains Limited

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library  (a) the (i) memorandum of association and (ii) articles of association of Diesel Trains Limited and  (b) a copy of each letter to industry partners referred to in his Department's press release of 5 March 2009 on the establishment of the company.

Paul Clark: A copy of the Memorandum of Association of Diesel Trains Ltd. has been placed in the Library. The company took standard "Table A" articles of association from the Companies (Table A to F) Regulations 1985 as amended.
	A copy of the letter to industry partners has been placed in the Library. The letter is also available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/purchase.pdf

Diesel Trains Limited

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the names are of the  (a) directors and  (b) other members of senior management of Diesel Trains Limited.

Paul Clark: The interim directors of Diesel Trains Ltd. are Bob Linnard and Caroline Low. The permanent directors and senior management have not yet been appointed.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many people were killed in car accidents involving uninsured drivers in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many people were injured in car accidents involving uninsured drivers in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many car accidents involving uninsured drivers there have been in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available.

Great Western Railway: Electrification

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make a decision on whether to electrify the Great Western line.

Paul Clark: There is already a commitment to provide electric trains between London and Maidenhead under the Crossrail programme, with the opportunity to extend such services to Reading.
	The Department for Transport is working closely with the rail industry to examine the costs and benefits of further electrification of the Great Western Main Line. A decision on electrification will be announced later this year.

Heathrow Airport

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in relation to the Ministerial reporting contained in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport responses to public consultation, on what basis the 161 key stakeholders were determined; which organisations and individuals the key stakeholders were; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 10 March 2009
	As explained on page 150 of the 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport: Report on consultation responses', the 161 individuals and organisations listed include stakeholders who responded to the consultation having had the consultation document sent to them and a small number of other respondents who sent back detailed and in depth responses.

Level Crossings: Accidents

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) injuries and  (b) deaths have occurred in accidents on railway crossings in (i) Essex and (ii) the UK in each year since 1998.

Paul Clark: The following data are based on incidents reported to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95). Figures for 2008 are provisional and may change with the receipt of coroners' findings for inquests that are currently outstanding.
	
		
			  Table 1: Fatalities and injuries at level crossings, 1998 to 2008( 1) , excluding trespassers and suicides, Great Britain 
			   Fatalities  Injuries  Total 
			   GB  Essex  GB  Essex  GB  Essex 
			 1998 13 0 40 2 53 2 
			 1999 11 0 26 1 37 1 
			 2000 13 2 28 3 41 5 
			 2001 10 0 20 0 30 0 
			 2002 14 0 32 2 46 2 
			 2003 16 0 26 0 42 0 
			 2004 16 0 64 2 80 2 
			 2005 15 2 21 2 36 4 
			 2006 8 0 28 1 36 1 
			 2007 11 0 14 0 25 0 
			 2008(1) 15 1 27 2 42 3 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Fatalities and injuries to trespassers and suicides at level crossings, 1998 to 2008( 1) , Great Britain 
			   Fatalities  Injuries  Total 
			   GB  Essex  GB  Essex  GB  Essex 
			 1998 12 1 0 1 12 2 
			 1999 8 1 0 0 8 1 
			 2000 9 0 2 0 11 0 
			 2001 10 0 3 0 13 0 
			 2002 13 1 0 0 13 1 
			 2003 15 0 0 0 15 0 
			 2004 12 1 1 0 13 1 
			 2005 20 2 3 0 23 2 
			 2006 19 0 0 0 19 0 
			 2007 17 0 0 0 17 0 
			 2008(1) 15 0 2 1 17 1 
			 (1) Provisional figures. 
		
	
	The data cover incidents at level crossings in Great Britain.

M25

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the road widening projects on sections  (a) 2,  (b) 4 and  (c) 5 of the M25.

Paul Clark: In January 2009 we published "Britain's Transport Infrastructure: Motorways and Major Trunk Roads". This confirmed that we expect to deliver improvements to M25 section 2 (between junctions 23-27) and M25 section 5 (between junctions 5-7) using hard shoulder running with construction work expected to commence within the period 2012 to 2015, subject to the availability of funding and completion of necessary statutory procedures.
	Section 4 (between junctions 27-30) is included as a widening scheme within the M25 Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) Contract currently in the final stages of negotiation. Subject to satisfactory conclusion of contract negotiations and funding arrangements it is expected that Section 4 widening will commence in July 2009 and complete before the Olympics in 2012.

M25

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of the remaining sections of road identified for widening in the London Orbital Multi-Modal Study are planned to be widened via  (a) conventional road widening and  (b) hard shoulder running.

Paul Clark: Subject to the completion of contract negotiations and funding arrangements for the M25 DBFO procurement, we are planning to widen M25 section 1 (between junctions 16-23) and M25 section 4 (between junctions 27-30) as conventional road widening schemes. As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Transport announced in "Britain's Transport Infrastructure: Motorways and Major Trunk Roads" published on 15 January 2009, we expect to deliver improvements to M25 section 2 (between junctions 23-27) and M25 section 5 (between junctions 5-7) using hard shoulder running. Improvements to M25 section 3 (between junctions 1b-3) have been completed as a conventional widening scheme.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what costs have been incurred by the Government in the transposition of EU Regulations 715/2007 and 692/2008 on vehicle emissions.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Other than the costs of preparing UK regulations to implement the EU regulation, the main cost on Government will be the cost of enforcing the requirement that replacement pollution control devices may only be sold if they have an appropriate type approval. These costs are estimated as a one-off set-up cost of £55,000 plus an annual cost of £110,000 rising to £114,000.
	Enforcement will be carried out by the Vehicle Certification Agency.

Railways Stations

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which towns in England with populations of 50,000 or more do not have a railway station.

Paul Clark: The following towns in England, which have a population of 50,000 or more, do not have a railway station:
	Gosport;
	Halesowen;
	Newcastle-under-Lyme;
	Washington; and
	Waterlooville.

Railways: Employment

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2132W on railways: employment, with which train operators he has had discussions on these matters in the last six months.

Paul Clark: Ministers in the Department for Transport have met representatives of all the franchised passenger train operating companies in recent weeks to discuss the effects of current economic conditions on their operations.

Railways: Fees and Charges

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with train operating companies on the likely effects of the current economic situation on levels of  (a) unregulated rail fares and  (b) station car parking charges.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has regular meetings with train operators about all matters relating to train operator performance—including the levels of unregulated fares and car park charges from time to time, though these are commercial matters entirely for train operators.

Railways: Franchises

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what dates he has met representatives of the Association of Train Operating Companies to discuss operators' ability to meet existing franchise payments in the last six months.

Paul Clark: Ministers meet with the Association of Train Operating Companies regularly to discuss a range of issues. The specific issue of train operators' ability to meet franchise payments has not been raised.

Railways: Passengers

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what targets his Department has adopted for passenger numbers on the railway in the next 12 months.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not have any targets which are expressed in terms of passenger numbers on the railway. The capacity and loading metrics which the Department intends to deliver by 2014 are set out in the High Level Output Specification which was published by the Department in July 2007, alongside the White Paper, "Delivering a Sustainable Railway".
	Progress on achieving the Department's public service agreements and objectives was set out in the autumn performance report 2008, which is available on the DFT website at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/publications/apr/ap/autumn performance08.pdf.

Railways: Plastics

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what specification his Department has established for the use on the rail network of sleepers made from 100 per cent. recycled plastic;
	(2)  what procurement process  (a) his Department and (b) Network Rail followed for the purchase of 100 per cent. recycled plastic sleepers for use on the rail network.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested.
	The procurement of sleepers is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his questions:
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London, N1 9AG

Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department was consulted by Network Rail before that company decided to alter its work programme for 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: This is an operational matter for Network Rail. Network Rail's spending programmes for Control Period 4 are agreed with the Office of Rail Regulation, which will independently continue to monitor the work.

Railways: Tickets

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department plans to take to minimise the cost of rail travel for regular passengers.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport recently commissioned research from Passenger Focus on the perception of value for money of rail fares. This specifically addressed commuter travel. The final report, conclusions and recommendations were published on 19 February. Ministers are meeting with the Association of Train Operating Companies later this month to discuss which Passenger Focus recommendations can be taken forward at this time and how best to do this.
	The Government have also recently confirmed that existing rail fare policy will not change. The annual cap on increases in regulated fares (RPI+1 per cent. in most cases) will still apply even if there is a negative RPI in July. This could result in rail fares going down in January 2010.

Rolling Stock

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1531-33, on new trains (investment), how many jobs in the supply chain to provide new rolling stock for the East Coast and Great Western main lines will be in the UK.

Paul Clark: Agility expects 500 of the 2,500 direct jobs to be with major UK suppliers and expect that up to 10,000 jobs will be protected in the indirect, supply chain.

Rolling Stock

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1531-33, on new trains (investment), what assessment he has made of the effect of World Trade Organisation treaty obligations on UK and European suppliers competing for railway rolling stock tenders in Japan.

Paul Clark: The European Commission has highlighted the difficulties of entry for non-Japanese companies into the Japanese rail market. I understand that there are a small number of European trains and train components in Japan, and that there is the potential for more, although this is likely to require significant investment on the part of any potential market entrants. The Foreign Office continues to work with the European Commission—which takes the lead in this area—to review the issue of barriers to market.

Rolling Stock

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1531-3, on new trains (investment), whether UK and European rail companies are able to bid for railway rolling stock tenders in Japan.

Paul Clark: UK and European rail industry suppliers are able to bid for railway rolling stock tenders in Japan, although the European Commission estimates that around 98 per cent. of procurements are not competitively tendered.

Severn Bridge: Tolls

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent progress has been made on introducing facilities for payment of Severn crossing tolls by credit and debit card.

Paul Clark: A working group commissioned to look into the feasibility of payment at the Severn River Crossings by electronic means presented its findings in October 2008 to the Highways Agency's chief executive. The Highways Agency is considering its response and is in discussion with Severn River Crossings Plc on the way forward.

Speed Limits

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1307W, on speed limits, what progress his Department has made towards creating a national digital road map of speed limits for use with satellite navigation devices; when he expects the national digital road map of speed limits will be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We are consulting with stakeholders involved in collecting, managing and using data on how best to record information about speed limits and will be testing our recommended approach through trials of a form of voluntary Intelligent Speed Adaptation as part of our Road Safety Partnership Grant programme, announced on 4 March 2009.
	We anticipate publishing the data schema for traffic authorities to use within the next 12 months.

Speed Limits

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1307W, on speed limits, what recent meetings he has had with car manufacturers and other stakeholders on facilitating the availability of intelligent speed adaptation.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Secretary of State for Transport has had no recent meetings with car manufacturers and other stakeholders specifically on the subject of intelligent speed adaptation.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to answer question 245350, tabled on 15 December 2008, on personal data stored overseas.

Geoff Hoon: A reply has been given to the hon. Member today.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy: Prices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what records he holds on the cost of energy to  (a) industry and  (b) domestic users in the UK compared to such costs in each other EU member state.

Mike O'Brien: Domestic and industrial retail prices for gas and electricity for EU member states are published in section 5 of "Quarterly Energy Prices", the latest edition of which was published in December 2008 and is available online at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/statistics/publications/prices/index.html
	Estimates for July to December 2008 show that domestic gas and electricity prices in the UK, including taxes, were the lowest and fifth lowest in the EU15 respectively. Since 1998, UK domestic gas prices have been among the lowest in the EU15, and UK domestic electricity prices have generally been below the EU15 median price.
	For industry, estimated prices, including taxes, for July to December 2008 showed that gas prices were below the EU15 median. For electricity, estimated prices were above the EU15 median. Historically, electricity prices to industrial users have been below the EU average, and up to January 2006 industrial electricity prices were no higher than the EU average except for the very largest energy consumers.

Industrial Injuries: Compensation

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many respiratory disease claims received under the coal health compensation scheme from residents of Wansbeck constituency were awaiting settlement at the latest date for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: There are 243 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease claims in the Wansbeck constituency that remain to be settled under the coal health compensation scheme as at 25 January 2009.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme: Northumberland

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many grant applications the Low Carbon Buildings programme has received from households in  (a) Wansbeck constituency and  (b) the county of Northumberland.

Mike O'Brien: To date, applications received by the Low Carbon Buildings based on the six council areas within Northumberland were as follows:
	
		
			  Local au thority  Number 
			 Alnwick 15 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 5 
			 Blyth Valley 7 
			 Castle Morpeth 21 
			 Tynedale 37 
			 Wansbeck 4 
			 Grand total 89

Nordic Council

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Nordic Council on energy supply.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly meets Energy Ministers from Nordic States in the EU Energy Council, most recently on 19 February 2009. I last met the Norwegian Energy Minister in Oslo on 13 October 2008, where we discussed a range of energy related issues.

Nuclear Power: Public Consultation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the public's attitudes towards the Government's policy on nuclear power.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has not commissioned or evaluated any research on the public's attitudes towards the Government's policy on nuclear power since the White Paper was published in January 2008.
	As part of the 2007 public consultation on the future of nuclear power in the UK, the Government did carry out deliberative research. The results of this research are available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/consultations/nuclearpower2007/page39554.html
	In addition, the Government have conducted a number of further consultations on the steps it is taking to facilitate new nuclear.

Renewable Energy: EC Action

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southampton, Test (Dr. Whitehead) of 22 January 2009,  Official Report, column 886, on a European supergrid, what discussions he has had with Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers on the international co-operation required for such an infrastructure project.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 4 February 2009
	Climate Change and Energy Ministers are responsible for discussions with the European Commission and other EU member states on a European supergrid.
	The idea of a European supergrid could help member states meet climate change and energy goals. However, this type of project involves many difficult cross-border regulatory and jurisdictional issues which will require significant effort to resolve and will take time to do so. It is also unclear what cost implications would be for UK consumers of this project relative to other options to secure energy supplies.
	DECC officials are currently in discussions with the European Commission on their proposals, to share our experience on offshore transmission and ensure UK objectives are met in any developments on this project.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Television: Licensing

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his most recent estimate of the number of people liable to pay but not paying a television licence fee is; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: This is a matter for the BBC; the BBC has advised that it does not hold a record of the specific number of people liable for but not paying a television licence fee, but it has calculated the evasion rate to be 5.1 per cent.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Paul Burstow: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1858W, what circumstances are covered by the category described as essential legal element missing; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: Each criminal offence is made up of a number of elements which constitute the essence of the offence. For example, a person is guilty of theft when he or she dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it. Each of these elements, 'dishonestly', 'property', 'belonging to another' and 'with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it', as defined within the Theft Act 1968, and evidence to establish each element must be present and proved beyond reasonable doubt if the court is to record a conviction for an offence of theft is to be proved.
	All cases conducted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are subject to a process of continuous review under the terms of the Code for Crown Prosecutors (the Code). The review process requires the prosecutor to be satisfied first that the evidential test is met—that is that there is sufficient reliable admissible evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of securing a conviction for the offence alleged; and, second, that the public interest requires a prosecution. If the prosecutor ascertains at any stage that a legal element of an offence is missing, then the case no longer meets the evidential test required under the Code, and the prosecution cannot continue.
	It is the duty of Crown prosecutors to ensure that the right person is prosecuted for the right offence and, in doing so, they must always act in the interests of justice and not solely for the purpose of obtaining a conviction. Five years ago, the Government introduced the Statutory Charging arrangements which ensured that a CPS prosecutor must authorise the charge for a range of more serious offences that were previously charged by the police. This has led to significant reductions in the number of cases discontinued after charge, because prosecutors will not have authorised charges in cases which do not meet the requirements of the Code, including those cases where an essential legal element is missing.
	While the CPS seeks to minimise discontinuance, and has made major strides in recent years in reducing the number and the proportion of cases which result in an unsuccessful outcome, there will always be cases in which circumstances may change and either the evidence available or expected, or the public interest no longer supports a prosecution. In these circumstances, the decision not to proceed best serves the cause of justice.

Crown Prosecution Service: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Solicitor-General what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the Crown Prosecution Service is in 2008-09.

Vera Baird: During 2008-09, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had three vacant premises on which it paid rates. The estimated total cost of this was £105,730.

Torture

David Winnick: To ask the Solicitor-General when the Attorney-General's report on allegations of UK complicity in torture of detainees abroad will be finalised.

Vera Baird: After undertaking a preliminary review of the material referred to her, the Attorney-General took the view that she should seek the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions. All the material provided to her has been made available to him. At this stage, no decision has been reached and it would be premature to speculate as to the outcome of the Attorney-General's consideration, nor is it possible to give a precise time scale. There is a substantial quantity of material to consider. Some of it is very highly classified and must be handled under the most secure of conditions. It is being thoroughly considered by the Director who is progressing this important work with his expert prosecutors within the CPS. The Attorney-General has said that she intends to report to Parliament on her assessment. What can be said at any given stage may depend upon a number of factors, such as the need to avoid prejudicing any police investigation and potential prosecution and the need to protect national security. She will continue to do everything she properly can to bring this matter to an expeditious conclusion.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Rail Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of travel by train by staff in his Department was in each year since 1997.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date the total cost of travel by train by staff is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   SO and OAG  SO only 
			 1999-2000 29,919 — 
			 2000-01 39,635 — 
			 2001-02 — 33,096 
			 2002-03 — 45,023 
			 2003-04 — 34,844 
			 2004-05 — 27,107 
			 2005-06 — 34,046 
			 2006-07 — 40,470 
			 2007-08 — 35,373 
		
	
	The Civil Service Management Code sets outs regulations and instructions to Departments and agencies regarding the terms and conditions of service of civil servants and the delegations which have been made by the Minister for the Civil Service under the Civil Service (Management of Functions) Act 1992 together with the conditions attached to those delegations.

PRIME MINISTER

10 Downing Street: Internet

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons the Downing Street website no longer hosts video footage of Prime Minister's Questions.

Gordon Brown: Video footage of Prime Minister's Questions is available on the Parliament website:
	http://www.parliamentlive.tv

Colombia: Military Aid

David Lidington: To ask the Prime Minister whether the  (a) work and  (b) funding of UK counter-narcotics operations in Colombia have been discussed at meetings of the Joint Intelligence Committee in the last three years.

Gordon Brown: The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) co-ordinates inter-departmental intelligence assessments on a range of issues of immediate and long-term importance to national interests; these are primarily in the fields of security, defence and foreign affairs.
	As is the practice of previous governments, I will not comment further on the specific work of the JIC.

Israel

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his speech to the Knesset on 21 July 2008; who drafted the speech; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: A transcript of my speech to the Knesset is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page16423
	A copy has also been placed in the Library of the House. I am responsible for the content of my speeches.

Israel

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister whom he met during his visit to the State of Israel in July 2008; if he will place in the Library a copy of his itinerary for the visit; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 23 October 2008,  Official Report, column 555W.

Israel: Anniversaries

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister whether he received a request from the government of Israel to make a speech at the Embassy of Israel 60th Anniversary Reception; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2136W.

Nuclear Weapons

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister whether matters in respect of  (a) the entry into disarmament negotiations of UK and US nuclear weapons and  (b) prospects for the review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty were discussed during his recent visit to the United States;

Ian Gibson: To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with the President of the United States the matters of  (a) the proposed expansion of NATO to include Ukraine and Georgia and  (b) nuclear disarmament; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I discussed a wide range of issues with President Obama; I refer the hon. Members to the joint press briefing I gave with President Obama, a transcript of which is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18514.
	A copy has also been placed in the Library of the House.

Orders and Regulations

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister how many Orders in Council have been passed by Ministers using Privy Council powers since he took office as Prime Minister.

Gordon Brown: Information on Order in Council passed is available on the Privy Council website:
	http://www.privy-council.org.uk/output/Paqe473.asp

US Congress

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  on what date he was invited to address a joint meeting of the US Congress; who invited him; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) the first and  (b) the final draft of his speech to the United States Congress on 4 March 2009; who drafted the speech; what input Ministers in his Government had to the speech; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I was invited to speak to the United States Congress by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (Nancy Pelosi) during her visit to Downing street in March 2008. A transcript of my speech is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18506
	A copy has also been placed in the Library of the House. I am responsible for the content of my speeches.

USA

Graham Stuart: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost to the public purse of his recent visit to Washington DC was; and if he will make a statement;

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister how many persons accompanied him on his visit to the United States; where he stayed on the visit; which  (a) Senators and  (b) members of Congress he met during his stay; if he will place in the Library a copy of the itinerary for the visit; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information on the number of officials accompanying Ministers on overseas visits is included in the list. Information for the financial year 2008-09 will be published in the usual manner.

USA: Official Gifts

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many gifts given to him by the President of the United States during his recent visit will be  (a) purchased by him and  (b) held by 10 Downing Street; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what gifts he (a) gave to and (b) received from President Obama during his visit to the United States; what the estimated value is of each; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: The Government have published annual lists of gifts received and given by Ministers in an official capacity valued at more than £140 since 2001. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. The list makes clear which gifts are held by Government Departments. The arrangements for the handling of gifts are set out in chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code. Information for the current financial year will be published in the usual way.

World Economic Forum

Anne Main: To ask the Prime Minister which hotels he stayed in during the World Economic Forum between 28 January and 1 February 2009; and at what cost.

Gordon Brown: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2008-09 will be published in the usual manner.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Postal Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to  (a) the Royal Mail and  (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office does not keep a record of the number of letters sent, however I can advise that Royal Mail is used predominantly over any other postal services provider.

Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on staff surveys in each of the last five years; and which companies were contracted to carry out the surveys.

Paul Goggins: In the last five years the Northern Ireland Office (excluding agencies and executive non-departmental public bodies) has conducted two staff surveys, one in 2004 and the other in 2006. These were delivered internally but the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency were paid £2,891 in 2004 and £3,107 in 2006 to analyse the responses from the surveys.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking in Afghanistan to increase levels of support from the Afghan public for NATO troops.

John Hutton: The UK and our ISAF partners are in Afghanistan at the invitation of the democratically elected Government of Afghanistan. Our experience on the ground is that ordinary Afghans welcome the progress that has been made since our deployment.
	A recent BBC poll has indicated the majority of Afghans support US and international forces, and there is strong opposition to the Taliban and violent insurgency.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with international counterparts on levels of NATO deployment in Southern Afghanistan in the next two years; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: I have regular discussions with my international counterparts on the NATO mission in Afghanistan. We keep UK force levels under constant review to ensure commanders have the capabilities they need to complete their tasks.
	President Obama has recently announced the deployment of an additional 17,000 US troops to Afghanistan, the majority of which will be deployed to the south. Currently, there are around 56,000 ISAF troops in Afghanistan, of which approximately 22,000 are based in Regional Command (South).

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) medals for gallantry in the face of the enemy,  (b) gallantry medals in other situations and  (c) mentions in despatches were awarded in each of the Operation Herrick deployments.

Bob Ainsworth: Details of gallantry awards bestowed for Operation Herrick over the period October 2001 to September 2008 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Operation Herrick  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Victoria Cross 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 George Cross 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Conspicuous Gallantry Cross 4 0 0 0 3 4 3 
			 Distinguished Service Order 2 0 0 0 3 5 3 
			 Distinguished Service Cross 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Military Cross 7 0 1 1 11 33 35 
			 Distinguished Flying Cross 3 0 0 0 4 4 4 
			 Air Force Cross 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 
			 George Medal 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 
			 Queen's Gallantry Medal 0 0 0 0 1 4 3 
			 Mention in Dispatches 15 0 1 0 30 57 84 
			 Queen's Commendation Bravery 2 1 4 0 5 2 5 
			 Queen's Commendation Bravery in the Air 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 
		
	
	The Victoria Cross, Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Military Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross and Mentions in Despatches are awarded for gallantry in active operations.
	The George Cross, George Medal, Queen's Gallantry Medal, Air Force Cross, Queen's Commendation Bravery and Queen's Commendation Bravery in the Air are civilian or non-operational gallantry awards although these may still be awarded in theatre.
	The Distinguished Service Order is awarded for command/leadership in active operations.

Armed Forces: Training

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department is seeking to extend its initial commitment to underwrite risk reduction activity in the Defence Training Review; what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the timetable for the approval of such an extension of the tabling of Early Day Motion 872 on Contingent Liability on Defence Review Training Costs; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The reasons for seeking to extend the risk reduction activity for Package 1 of the Defence Training Review were given in my answer of 9 March 2009,  Official Report, column 174W. The tabling of EDM 872 will have no effect on the timetable for the approval of the contingent liability.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who took the decision to use the manoeuvrable WMIK vehicle as a convoy patrol vehicle; and when that decision was taken.

John Hutton: The WMIK is used as a convoy patrol vehicle when operational commanders deem it to be a suitable vehicle for this role. The decision is taken by the operational commander in theatre on a case by case basis. The WMIK was first deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 and has been used as a convoy patrol vehicle since then.

Defence: Finance

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan on the Royal Navy's budget for procurement of  (a) aircraft carriers and  (b) destroyers;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of funding for ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan on the Royal Air Force's budget for procurement of  (a) Eurofighter Typhoons and  (b) replacement Harriers.

John Hutton: The Department does not currently anticipate any impact on current procurement programmes arising from the costs of operations, as the MOD claims from the Reserve the net additional costs of military operations which it incurs, including in-year costs for emerging Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs).

Departmental Research

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research and development projects his Department is funding; how much has been allocated to each such project; and which organisations are undertaking each project.

Quentin Davies: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not have a centralised research and development (R and D) budget. Development expenditure varies depending on the requirements of each project. The MOD does publish information on its overall expenditure on research across a wide range of diverse projects in UK Defence Statistics, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The majority of research expenditure is undertaken by the science/innovation/technology top level budget which placed £531 million of research contracts in 2007-08 and whose budget in 2008-09 is £502 million.
	On 26 February the MOD launched the dynamic Defence Technology Plan (DTP) available online at www.science.mod.uk to enable transparent prioritisation and coherence across MOD's R and D programme. The DTP aims to encourage fresh and innovative thinking, to demonstrate the value of the research programme to Defence and to enable more effective working across the R and D community. This is a cost-balanced expression of research priorities for the MOD that takes forward the Defence Technology Strategy (DTS), published in October 2006.

EU Defence Policy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the European Commission and  (b) the European Defence Agency on the co-ordination of the initiative on the European market for security and defence equipment and technologies.

John Hutton: The Ministry of Defence has regular contact with the European Commission and the European Defence Agency, principally through meetings of the Council of Ministers and biannual European Defence Agency Ministerial Steering Boards.

EU Defence Policy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects of the restrictions on the procurement of security and defence equipment and the transfer of such technologies among member states on the capacity of the Government to contribute towards meeting the objectives of the European Security and Defence Policy.

John Hutton: The two draft Directives on defence procurement and the transfer of defence-related products are intended to increase transparency and interchange in the European defence equipment market. These measures should enhance the ability of all member states, including the UK, to contribute more effectively to meeting the objectives of the European Security and Defence Policy.

EU Defence Policy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the European Commission on standardisation within the European security and defence technological and industrial base.

John Hutton: The MOD has had little direct contact with the European Commission on this subject. The discussions that have taken place have been limited to agreeing an order of preference for the selection of standards to be used in Defence Procurement. Agreement was reached in 2008 that, where appropriate, European, international, and national civil standards should be used. After that in the order of preference, commercial standards widely used by Industry should be applied in preference to international military alliance standards such as those used in NATO and national Defence Standards.
	The MOD has been involved indirectly with the Commission through a contract they awarded to the Centre de Normalisation (CEN), the European Civil Standards Organisation, to conduct work on standardisation systems in defence industries, and subsequently to develop a European Handbook for Defence Procurement. Its aim is to establish best practice in the application of standards for specified technology areas in support of defence procurement. The MOD is a member of a multinational group of Government experts and other stakeholders contributing to this work.

Rachel Reid

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department made of the potential effects on the safety of Rachel Reid of its decision to recall Colonel Owen McNally.

John Hutton: I can confirm that a British Army officer was arrested in Afghanistan and returned to the UK on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, it would be inappropriate to make any further comment at this time.

Submarines: Accidents

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the standard operating procedure for a submarine following a collision is; and whether HMS Vanguard surfaced immediately after its collision with Le Triomphant.

John Hutton: The submarine Emergency Operating Procedure (EOP) in the event of a dived collision starts with an immediate and swift check of essential systems by the ship control watch keepers. This is followed by a sequence of thorough damage control checks throughout the submarine. This EOP is routinely exercised by submarine crews during training, in shore simulators and at sea. I can confirm that the UK's deterrent capability has remained unaffected at all times and there has been no compromise to nuclear safety.

Submarines: Accidents

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department  (a) implemented the procedures in the Regulation of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme JSP 518 for berthing a submarine with a significant defect and  (b) informed the Health and Safety Executive prior to berthing HMS Vanguard at Coulport on 14 February 2009.

John Hutton: The procedures in JSP518 are applicable in the event of a significant nuclear defect; this was not the situation for HMS Vanguard. There was therefore no requirement to inform the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prior to berthing HMS Vanguard, as this was done in accordance with the safety case for the facility at the Royal Naval Armament Depot Coulport. Subsequently, as a matter of courtesy, the HSE was informed.

Submarines: Accidents

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to prepare and approve a specific safety case for the docking and repair of HMS Vanguard in the Faslane shiplift; and what the timescale for completing this safety case is.

John Hutton: There is no requirement to prepare a specific safety case as the docking and repair of HMS Vanguard is within the scope of the existing Facility Safety Case. A Facility Safety Case is the suite of documentation that justifies operations at a specific facility.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Algeria: Human Rights

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made any representations to the Algerian government on the welfare of the six individuals deported to that country since 2006 on national security grounds; and whether he plans to make representations on the welfare of those individuals.

Bill Rammell: Eight Algerian nationals have returned to Algeria voluntarily under the terms of the exchange of letters signed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Bouteflika in 2006. The exchange of letters allows for individuals deported or voluntarily returned under its terms (and their families) to maintain contact with our embassy in Algiers. Our embassy initiated contact with the individuals proactively immediately following their return to Algeria. In 2007 our ambassador wrote to the Algerian authorities regarding four returnees who had been detained.
	The returnees and their families retain the right to contact our embassy at any time. None has done so recently. Further contact with the Algerian authorities will be on a case by case basis.

Cayman Islands: Illegal Immigrants

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to prevent illegal immigration into the Cayman Islands.

Gillian Merron: Illegal immigration from Cuba continues to be a serious problem for the Cayman Islands. Although the responsibility for immigration matters has been devolved to the local government we continue to support and encourage their relationship with the Government of Cuba to implement the memorandum of understanding which covers the repatriation of Cuban migrants. The Cayman Islands Government also have a mass migration contingency plan in place.
	In February 2009 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office co-funded a workshop in the Cayman Islands for Regional Heads of Immigration Services from other Caribbean Overseas Territories, independent Caribbean countries and the US. In addition the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has taken delivery of four new marine vessels which will allow their borders to be patrolled more effectively.

Cayman Islands: Overseas Residence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens took up residence in the Cayman Islands in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The Cayman Islands Department of Immigration collates new residence statistics by country of origin. They have provided the following figures for new residents from the United Kingdom:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004 350 
			 2005 443 
			 2006 432 
			 2007 426 
			 2008 428

Central Africa: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of  (a) the effectiveness of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad and  (b) its ability to protect civilians in Chad; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The main role of the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) is to select, train and advise the Détachement intégré de sécurité (DIS). The DIS are Chadian police who are designated to provide rule of law in and around refugee and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.
	The first group of 29 DIS officers were deployed to eastern Chad on 24 October 2008. Deployments are ongoing, with 563 officers currently patrolling the camps. However, we judge that it is still too early to make a thorough assessment of the effect of the DIS in protecting civilians in Chad.
	EUFOR, the EU military mission accompanying MINURCAT, has contributed to the protection of civilians by providing greater security in the region, thereby allowing others to carry out the effective delivery of humanitarian aid. As set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1861, MINURCAT will now be expanded to include a military component, which will replace EUFOR on 15 March 2009.

Central Africa: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad to reach the full mandated strength authorised by UN Security Council Resolution 1861.

Gillian Merron: UN Security Council Resolution 1861 provides for the transfer of authority from the European Union force in the Central African Republic and Chad (EUFOR) to the military component of the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) on 15 March 2009. Force generation for the MINURCAT military component is still on-going. The UN Secretary-General will update the UN Security Council on the progress of the mission, including troop levels, every three months.

Colombia: Human Rights

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Colombian government on human rights.

Gillian Merron: We make regular representations to the Colombian government on human rights, reflecting our deep concern. I discussed human rights with Foreign Minister Bermudez and Vice President Santos in November 2008; and on a number of recent occasions with Colombia's ambassador to the UK. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised human rights concerns with Foreign Minister Bermudez in October 2008, and our ambassador in Bogota maintains regular dialogue with senior Colombian Ministers and officials on human rights issues.

Colombia: Military Aid

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department provides  (a) funding and  (b) training for counter-narcotics work in Colombia.

Gillian Merron: We do not disclose details of our bilateral training in the field of counter-narcotics in Colombia, as to do so would endanger the security of the UK and Colombian personnel involved, and undermine the effectiveness of that work.
	We support a number of projects on counter narcotics in Colombia and elsewhere in the Latin American region that are implemented by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Foreign and Commonwealth Office supports the following recent or ongoing UNODC projects in Colombia:
	(i) Expanding regional legal assistance programmes (multi-year 2007-10)
	(ii) Training against money laundering (2007-08)
	(iii) Best practices in trials and investigation (multi-year 2007-09)
	(iv) Colombia/Venezuela border (multi-year 2008-09)
	(v) Risk of money laundering in commerce and trade (multi-year 2009-11)
	(vi) Regional criminal justice sector reform (multi-year 2009-12)
	(vii) Implementation of best practices in civil asset forfeiture (Colombia/Peru) (2009)

Colombia: Military Aid

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) vetting and  (b) recording of data is undertaken (i) prior to and (ii) during the training of Colombian military officers who receive training from UK personnel.

Gillian Merron: The monitoring of the human rights or other performance of individual Colombian military personnel is the responsibility of the Colombian armed forces.
	Our embassy in Bogota keeps a record of Colombian security force personnel who receive UK training, whether in counter-narcotics, human rights or humanitarian demining, in case information emerged to suggest that they subsequently become involved in human rights abuses. No such information has emerged to date.
	Disclosing the details of the record held by our embassy could endanger the lives of those involved.

Colombia: Military Aid

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of the High Mountain Battalion of the Colombian Army have received UK training in each year since 1999.

Gillian Merron: The UK does not provide training to whole units such as the High Mountain Battalion of the Colombian army. It is not possible to identify individuals trained by the UK or by UN programmes part-funded by the UK, who have gone on to serve in particular divisions of the Colombian armed forces.
	I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1197-98W, for further information on Colombian security forces personnel who receive UK training.

Colombia: Military Aid

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Colombian military personnel who have received UK training are subsequently monitored for any human rights abuses they commit.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1197-98W.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Mining

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1522W, on Democratic Republic of Congo: mining, which other UK companies are involved in the exportation of minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gillian Merron: We do not maintain a list of the UK companies currently involved in exporting minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The UK companies whose involvement in this sector is known to us are Central African Mining and Exploration Company and Katanga Mining. Afrimex has informed us that it is no longer engaged in this trade. We continue to encourage UK companies trading in natural resources from DRC to do so in a way that is socially, economically and environmentally responsible, and to adhere to the voluntary guidelines set out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The UK is working with our partner governments to identify ways of promoting good practice in this sector.

Democratic Republic of Congo: War Crimes

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 5 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1745W, on Democratic Republic of Congo: war crimes, on what dates his officials have met representatives of the Congolese Government to discuss the indictment of Bosco Ntaganda; and whether further such meetings are planned.

Gillian Merron: Our ambassador discussed the question of the warrant for Bosco Ntaganda's arrest with the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Minister of Foreign Affairs at a meeting on 21 January 2009. Our representatives will raise the issue in future high-level exchanges with DRC Ministers and officials.

Departmental Art Works

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which works of art from the Government Art Collection each Minister in his Department has selected for display in a private office.

Gillian Merron: Works of art currently in display in Private Offices within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are as follows:
	 Foreign Secretary's Office
	Richard Cosway: James Seton, Vice Admiral; Governor of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 1787-1798—oil painting
	Francis Grant: Sir Henry Pottinger (1789-1856) Governor of Hong Kong—oil painting
	Joseph Nollekens: William Pitt (1759-1806) Prime Minister—marble bust
	L Alfred Brunet-Debaines: Houses of Parliament—engraving
	Edwin Whitney-Smith: Ernest Bevin (1881-1951) trade unionist and politician—bronze sculpture
	Anon British 18C: View of Horse Guards, showing New Horse Guards —oil painting
	 Caroline Flint: (works inherited from predecessor)
	William George Gillies: Peeblesshire Landscape—oil painting
	John Everett Millais: Hubert von Herkomer—Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield (1804-81) Prime Minister
	John Davies: Sand Dunes, Maghara, Co. Donegal—photograph
	Donald McIntyre: Crail, Fife—acrylic painting
	Victor Pasmore: Hear the Sound of a Magic Tune - 3/25—screen print
	 Lord Malloch-Brown
	William Scott: Cup and Pan Blues 99/100—screen print
	Patrick Caulfield:Signature Pots 31/70—screen print
	R B Kitaj: The Congo and other Poems - In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part: 37/150—screen print
	R B Kitaj: Benia Krik: In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most Part - 37/150 —screen print
	Molly Guion: The Queen's Beasts—Oil painting
	John Terence Holden: Homage—acrylic painting
	Graham Sutherland: L'Elephant [The Elephant] "Le Bestiaire, ou Cortege d'Orphee" by Apollinaire 3/75—etching|aquatint
	 Gillian Merron - (works inherited from predecessor)
	Thomas Picken: View of the Harbour, St. George's, Grenada, West Indies—lithograph
	William Simpson: View of the Town and Harbour, St. George's, Grenada, West Indies—lithograph
	 Bill Rammell
	John Latham:Tadpole-Taffrail (Five Photo Etchings) 20/30—etching
	John Latham: Boy-Girl (Five Photo Etchings) 20/30—etching
	John Latham: Ben - (Five Photo Etchings) 20/30—etching
	John Latham: Presumed Level of Abstraction (Five Photo Etchings) 20/30—etching
	John Latham: Flat Time 1-10 (Neg) (Five Photo Etchings) 20/30—etching
	Geraldine Brock: Prayer in an Eastern Garden—textile

Departmental Bank Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which banks his Department has or has had contracts for the provision of financial advice, for the financial year 2008-09.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have contracts for financial advice with banks, but has a contract with HiFX Intelligent Financial Services to ensure that advice received is independent.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department uses WPA2 encryption protocol on all its wireless networks.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office follows the relevant governmental standards covering communication, security and cryptography for the encryption of data.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what auditing his Department undertakes to ensure that IT security policies are being followed; and on how many occasions  (a) IT security policies have been breached by employees and  (b) a member of staff has been sanctioned for a breach of such policies in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: Compliance arrangements comprise a system of self assessment, accreditation, assurance reporting, audit and review.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's IT security hierarchy.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will not place a copy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's IT security hierarchy in the Library.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what scanning for vulnerabilities his Department conducts of each of its IT devices; what method is used for IT device scans; and how many vulnerabilities have been detected as a result of such scans in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will not provide a response to this question as it would undermine the security of the Department.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what IT security policy his Department has; what procedures are in place to ensure the policy is being followed; what his Department's policy is on encryption of data when they leave departmental premises; and what sanctions are in place for failure to comply with this policy.

Gillian Merron: Information is a key asset to the Government and their correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of the Government. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is compliant with the security policies contained in the Government Security Policy Framework including those for information security and assurance.
	Depending upon the circumstances, a range of sanctions are available including disciplinary or administrative action, and in extreme or persistent cases, termination of employment/services and, if appropriate, criminal proceedings.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department have been subject to internal disciplinary procedures in relation to the use of religiously or racially offensive language during each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Central records show that to date no members of Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff have been subject to internal disciplinary procedures for using religiously or racially offensive language during each of the last five years.
	I also refer the hon. Member to my written answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1206W.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: No staff have been disciplined as a result of a poor sickness record. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) deals with sickness absence under a separate sickness absence management procedure.
	The following numbers of UK-based staff have had their employment terminated under this procedure as a result of a poor sickness record in the FCO and FCO Services:
	
		
			   Number 
			 February 2008 0 
			 March 2008 0 
			 April 2008 0 
			 May 2008 0 
			 June 2008 0 
			 July 2008 3 
			 August 2008 1 
			 September 2008 0 
			 October 2008 2 
			 November 2008 0 
			 December 2008 0 
			 January 2009 1 
			 February 2009 1 
		
	
	We do not hold records centrally of numbers of locally-engaged staff relevant to this question, and they could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 118-19W, on departmental ICT, what the  (a) original expected cost was,  (b) original expected delivery date was,  (c) current expected cost is and  (d) current expected completion date is of each ICT project listed; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Several of the Information and Communication Technology Directorate contracts listed in the answer relate to support and maintenance, or are framework arrangements, rather than to the provision of new capabilities. Consequently the following contract values and dates cannot necessarily be related to specific projects.
	 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
	(1) Provision of Managed Website Statistics Service—Nedstad.
	Value: £86,000 and term unchanged.
	(2) Future Firecrest (new IT infrastructure) Consultancy—Tribal.
	A framework agreement for consultancy, with no fixed value. Commenced May 2006.
	(3) Online Missing Persons and Travellers Registration Software—Worldreach.
	Value: £286,000 and term unchanged.
	(4) Development of Ministerial Visits Co-ordination Database—Parity.
	Value: £46,288 and term unchanged.
	(5) Home Office Biometrics Framework—Steria.
	A framework agreement for consultancy, with no fixed value. Commenced April 2007.
	(6) FCO Web FCO external websites platform—Logica.
	Software development and implementation at a cost of £6,115,000 due to complete September 2008; delivered December 2008 at no additional cost.
	(7) FCONet 3 Intranet Development—Fujitsu.
	Original contract covered 12 months effort at a cost of £580,000, commencing February 2008, a similar contract for a further 12 months is likely.
	(8) FCONet 3 Intranet Support—Fujitsu.
	£635,000 for three years' support and licensing, commencing February 2008; unchanged.
	(9) Enterprise Agreement—Microsoft.
	£6,900,000 for three years worldwide use of specified Microsoft products, starting March 2008; unchanged.
	(10) Premier Support Agreement—Microsoft.
	£349,000 for one year's support from January 2008; unchanged.
	 FCO Services
	(1) Tempest Workstation, Peripheral Equipment and Support—API Europe.
	Value: £1,000,000 and term (two years from May 2007, with option to extend) unchanged.
	(2) Wider Internal Markets Hardware Support for UK/Overseas—Hewlett Packard.
	Value: £330,000 and term (three years from January 2008) unchanged.
	 Wilton Park
	(1) Contact Records Management system development—GN Software.
	Framework contract commenced May 2008, with no fixed value. Current costs under contract are approximately £450 per month.

Departmental Marketing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's spending on advertising between 19 February 2008 and 18 February 2009 was £1,470,110.04.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his Department in 2008-09 to date.

Gillian Merron: Costs incurred on reimbursable expenses in 2008-09 will be available only when the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2009 summer recess.

Departmental Public Consultation

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many public consultations his Department has conducted in the last 12 months; how long each consultation was open for; how many responses were received in each case; and what the cost of conducting each consultation was.

Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally, and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1240W, on departmental public expenditure, which activities have been  (a) delayed in 2008-09 and  (b) identified for delay in 2009-10; and what the estimated saving from each delay is.

David Miliband: Prioritising our work to deliver on our objectives is the responsibility of budget holders with devolved responsibility. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, projects would be prioritised based on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Strategic Objectives.
	Any delayed activity would be reassessed during the quarterly review process. This process is used to scrutinise and challenge spending in order to move money between spending areas to fund additional pressures.

Departmental Public Expenditure

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1240W, on departmental public expenditure, what his Department's budget for costs of overseas posts was in each of the last five financial years.

David Miliband: The information on overseas post budgets for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Overseas post budgets for the past three financial years are highlighted as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006-07 366.50 
			 2007-08 359.50 
			 2008-09 (1)398.20 
			 (1) Forecast. 
		
	
	The increase in the 2008-09 figure is due to uplift through the Overseas Pricing Mechanism less efficiency savings.

Departmental Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on staff surveys in each of the last five years; and which companies were contracted to carry out the surveys.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has conducted the following staff surveys over the last five years.
	2004 staff survey conducted by 'NOP'. The contract value was £19,220. The actual spend information for this survey was not transferred successfully to the new FCO management information system. Answering this question by examining stored paper invoices would incur disproportionate cost.
	2006 staff survey and two "mini" wave surveys conducted by ORC International. Actual spend was £36,320.
	2007 staff survey conducted by ORC International. The actual spend was £35,004.
	2008 staff survey conducted by ORC International. The actual spend to date is £25,373. The contract value is £40,500.
	FCO Services (which became an Executive agency in April 2006 and acquired full trading fund status in April 2008) has conducted the following staff surveys over the last five years.
	
		
			   Type of survey  Company  Spend (£) 
			 2005 FCO Services staff survey ORC International 19,000 
			 2007 FCO Services staff survey GfK NOP 24,613.00 
			 2008 FCO Services staff survey ORC International 25,553.00

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which  (a) he,  (b) other Ministers in his Department and  (c) his Department's senior officials undertook in 2008.

Gillian Merron: A list of overseas visits made by all Ministers costing in excess of £500 is published on the Cabinet Office website by financial year. Figures for this financial year will be available shortly. FY2007-08 details can be accessed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers.aspx
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold centrally records of travel expenditure broken down by senior grades. To provide this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) summits,  (b) conferences and  (c) seminars his Department has hosted since January 2008 at which a primary subject for discussion was the effect of the economic situation on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Gillian Merron: Responsibility for global economic issues does not lie exclusively with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), but across a number of Government departments, including HM Treasury, the Cabinet Office and the Department for International Development.
	There have been two ministerial-level conferences, where economic issues were extensively discussed. I hosted the annual Overseas Territories Consultative Council on 28-29 October 2008. This was a forum for discussion between elected leaders of the Overseas Territories and Government Ministers on policy issues of concern to the Territories and the Government.
	In July 2008, The UK-Caribbean Ministerial Forum included dedicated sessions on 'Implementation of Millennium Development Goals', 'Implementation of Economic Partnership Agreements', 'Reform of Financial Institutions' and 'Energy and Food Security; Alternative Energy Sources'.
	At official level, senior officials led a discussion on the London Summit at the FCO's conference for its climate and energy attachés from Posts overseas on 26-27 February 2009.
	In February 2009, our embassy in Budapest hosted a seminar on Global economic crisis:challenges and opportunities for Europe—framing the context with support from the Central European University of Budapest.
	The FCO held its bi-annual conference for its economic officers in December 2008. The central themes were to understand the global economic crisis and how to support the Government's international policy responses effectively.
	In October 2008 the FCO's Global Economy Group held an internal seminar on new risks facing emerging market economies in the financial crisis, covering economic risks, which countries considered and the impact on UK interests.
	The FCO hosted a seminar on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Africa Economic Outlook in June 2008 and co-hosted with HM Treasury a seminar on international financial institutions with external experts in May 2008.
	Looking ahead, the FCO's Research Analysts are organising a seminar in conjunction with the London School of Economics (LSE) IDEAS Centre to discuss the Geopolitical Implications of the Global Financial Crisis to be held at the LSE on 5 March 2009.
	Overseas posts have a significant degree of discretion to organise local conferences or seminars on their own initiative. There are no centrally held records of events hosted by FCO posts overseas and collating details of events worldwide would incur disproportionate cost.

Horn of Africa: Security

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the level of threat to British interests from instability in the Horn of Africa; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: There has been a long history of terrorist activity in East Africa, from the Nairobi and Dar Es Salam US embassy bombings in 1998 to more recent activity in Somalia. A continuing terrorist presence in East Africa is of recognised strategic value to al-Qaeda, who are likely to view UK interests as legitimate targets.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) works together with its partners in Africa and here in the United Kingdom to monitor the security situation throughout the Horn of Africa and how that might reflect on the security of the United Kingdom and its nationals.
	Britons travelling to the four countries which make up the Horn of Africa should continue to monitor our travel advice which is constantly updated. We currently advise against all travel to Somalia.
	The long-term goal of the FCO and the Government is an East Africa which has achieved good governance and political stability through support for government and civil institutions. The FCO continues to work towards the achievement of those goals.

Israel: Embassies

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what decision he has made on the relocation of the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Bill Rammell: We can confirm that we have withdrawn from negotiations on a lease for the Hakirya Tower premises and we continue to explore solutions to ensure that we have suitable embassy premises in Tel Aviv.
	This decision follows discussions with Africa-Israel (owners of the Hakirya Tower) about our concerns of involvement in settlement activities by Africa-Israel and its subsidiary companies. The Government's firm stance is that the construction of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is unlawful under international law, and this is an important policy issue for the Government.

Kashmir

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the  (a) economic and  (b) political situation in Kashmir.

Bill Rammell: Limited trade across the line of control began in October 2008, but the Composite Dialogue, the formal mechanism for discussion between India and Pakistan on a range of issues, including Kashmir and economic co-operation, has been placed on pause since the Mumbai attacks in November 2008. Elections in Indian-administered Kashmir were held in November/December 2008. These passed off peacefully with a reported turnout of over 60 per cent. A new state government headed by the National Conference came to power. The last elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir took place in July 2006. On 6 January 2009, the Legislative Assembly approved a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, who has been replaced by Sardar Yaqoob.

Kashmir

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of progress in the bilateral talks between India and Pakistan on Kashmir.

Bill Rammell: The Composite Dialogue, the formal mechanism for discussion between India and Pakistan on a range of issues, including Kashmir, has been placed on pause since the Mumbai attacks in November 2008.

Kenya: Elections

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Kenyan Government on the establishment of a special tribunal in relation to the post-election violence in Kenya in 2008.

Gillian Merron: The Government have been clear, both privately and publicly, in their support for the recommendations made by the independent Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence, which include the establishment of a special tribunal. Our high commissioner to Kenya has discussed this subject with the Kenyan President, Prime Minister, other government ministers and with MPs and civil society groups.

Kenya: Internally Displaced Persons

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the number of Kenyan people who have returned to their homes since the post-election violence in 2008.

Gillian Merron: It is difficult to determine exactly how many Kenyans were displaced in the violence which followed the December 2007 elections and how many have since returned to their homes.
	According to a survey conducted last year by the Kenyan Government in co-operation with UN High Commission for Refugees, a total of 663,921 persons were displaced by the violence, of which around 300,000 were in camps. Official figures from the Kenyan Government on 2 February 2009 state that 347,148 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been resettled since the violence, most of them returning to their homes, whilst 22,200 are living in 53 transit camps. According to official figures, only 2,582 still live in the two remaining official IDP camps. Another 28,979 IDPs are in so-called "self-help groups", which have joined together to buy land.
	The Government have provided £2.5 million to help deal with the humanitarian consequences of the post-election violence.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will undertake a value for money assessment of UK funding provided for the activities of Tony Blair as Middle East Envoy.

Bill Rammell: We strongly support the valuable work done by the Quartet Representative, the right hon. Tony Blair. We are satisfied that our contributions to his office are an efficient way of seeking to achieve real improvements in the lives of Palestinians.

Overseas Trade

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1250W, on overseas trade: prices, what position he took on the future of the overseas price mechanism in his discussions with ministerial colleagues preceding the announcement of the comprehensive spending review.

David Miliband: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1250W.

Persian Gulf: Security

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in the Straits of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.

Bill Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) regularly assesses the security situation in the Straits of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.
	The security situation was last reviewed in late February 2009 when media reports indicated that Iran had claimed sovereignty over Bahrain. The FCO welcomes the fact that the Iranian Foreign Ministry has made clear this is not the view of the Iranian government. The UK's view is clear and firm: Bahrain is a sovereign and independent state and a member of the UN. We refute any suggestion to the contrary.

Somalia: Piracy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) financial and  (b) technical assistance the Government plans to provide to the International Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.

Gillian Merron: The UK has assumed a leading role in the international response to the threat of piracy off Somalia. UN Security Council Resolution 1851 called for the establishment of an International Contact Group for Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS). In turn the CGPCS called for the creation of four working groups on key focus areas. In February 2009 the UK chaired (in partnership with, and located at, the International Maritime Organisation) one of these, an international working group looking to enhance international co-operation and co-ordination of counter-piracy activities. The UK has not offered any direct financial assistance to the wider CGPCS given our commitment to this working group, and we continue to provide technical expertise to all four working groups of the CGPCS.
	The UK is committed to continue to support the ongoing work of the contact group and will consider what further assistance to offer as that work matures.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received of the use of white phosphorus weapons by the Sri Lankan army; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: We are aware of reports of the use of white phosphorus by the Sri Lankan army. The ongoing military hostilities and the lack of independent information coming from northern Sri Lanka make it difficult to verify these claims. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear, we urge all parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka to take action to avoid civilian casualties.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Sri Lankan government on access for humanitarian agencies and independent media organisations to areas of conflict and military operation in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear, our priority is for the safety of civilians trapped in the fighting in the north.
	In his written ministerial statement of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 30-31WS, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary called for enhanced access for humanitarian agencies to facilitate the delivery of adequate supplies of humanitarian aid. Our high commissioner in Colombo continues to raise this issue regularly with senior members of the Government of Sri Lanka.
	We welcome the recent visit to Sri Lanka by John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, and hope this leads to an improvement in the humanitarian situation on the ground. We are aware that certain humanitarian agencies have been given access to camps for Internally Displaced Persons. We continue to lobby the Government of Sri Lanka on the need to ensure the safety of civilians and to allow full humanitarian access.
	We have made representations to the Sri Lankan government on media freedoms in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government has taken to promote a peace agreement in Sri Lanka.

Bill Rammell: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear, most recently during Foreign and Commonwealth Office oral questions on 24 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 140-43, our view remains that a political solution is the only way to bring a sustainable end to the conflict in Sri Lanka. Our consistent position remains that for peace to be sustainable, an inclusive political process that takes into account fully the legitimate concerns of all Sri Lankan communities—Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim, is essential.
	Our high commission in Colombo takes every opportunity to convey this to the Government of Sri Lanka. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear in his written ministerial statement of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 30-31 WS, we continue to engage with all political parties across all communities in Sri Lanka to support progress in this direction.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government has taken in co-operation with the international community to ensure the safety of aid workers in Sri Lanka.

Bill Rammell: As my noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown made clear in his statement of 10 March 2009, we are extremely concerned about the recent killing of an International Committee of the Red Cross humanitarian worker.
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view=PressS &id=14678346
	We have repeatedly called for a humanitarian ceasefire, which will allow civilians to leave the conflict area safely. We have also called for unrestricted access for humanitarian agencies so they can deliver assistance to those in need and evacuate the wounded without putting their own lives at risk.
	We continue to call on both parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law which requires them to recognise impartial humanitarian actors and do everything possible to allow the safe and free passage of adequate humanitarian relief to those in need.
	We welcome the recent visit by John Holmes, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and hope this leads to an improvement in the situation for civilians on the ground. We continue to discuss the situation in Sri Lanka with international partners including the UN Department for Safety and Security and the Sri Lankan Government. The safety of aid workers must be guaranteed.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the deployment of Justice and Equality Movement forces in Southern Kordofan; and what recent assessment he has made of the capacity of the UN mission in Sudan to monitor such deployments.

Gillian Merron: Under the terms of its mandate, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is tasked with supporting the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement. To this end, UNMIS monitors any threat to security including movement of armed groups in the transitional areas, including South Kordofan. UNMIS has deployed a number of officers throughout the transitional areas, who report movements through the UN chain of command.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of levels of  (a) government troops and  (b) rebel movement forces in southern Darfur; what assessment he has made of the potential effects of changes in such levels on the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: We are aware, through UN reporting, that numbers of Justice and Equality Movement forces have increased throughout Darfur in recent weeks. Darfur remains sovereign Sudanese territory and a Government of Sudan garrison is present throughout. We do not monitor either the level of Sudanese military deployment, or rebel force movement other than in the context of assessing the security threat to the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur and the general status of the various peace processes ongoing in the region.
	Any increase in both Government of Sudan and rebel troop levels would be of concern as it could lead to increased levels of tension, which would hamper ongoing efforts to secure peace and stability in Sudan, particularly with regard to the comprehensive peace agreement.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received any recent reports of the effect on oil prices of the recent attacks in southern Sudan by the Lord's Resistance Army.

Gillian Merron: We have received no reports of the effect on oil prices of the recent attacks in southern Sudan by the Lord's Resistance Army.

Sudan: Chad

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the current state of relations between Sudan and Chad; and what discussions he has had with UN Security Council counterparts on the matter.

Gillian Merron: We regularly receive reports from a wide variety of sources on the state of relations between Sudan and Chad. Despite the restoration of diplomatic ties on 9 November 2008, relations between the countries remain strained.
	We regularly discuss this matter with UN Security Council counterparts, including during discussions of the Secretary General's sixty day reports on the African Union UN Mission in Darfur and the 90 day reports on the UN Mission in Chad.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur to reach its full mandated strength; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: As at 31 January 2009, the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) was at a total strength of 18,309 troops, police and civilians, comprising 12,541 military personnel (64 per cent. of mandated strength in this area), 2,639 police (41 per cent. of mandated strength in this area), and 3,129 civilians (56 per cent. of mandated strength in this area). Further deployment will take place over the coming weeks and months. We continue to work closely with the UN and potential contributors, and call on all parties to facilitate the full and rapid deployment of UNAMID.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assess the likely effects of recent decisions of the International Criminal Court in relation to Sudan on levels of co-operation between the government of Sudan and the UN Mission in Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 4 March 2009 urged all parties in Sudan to avoid escalation and to protect international personnel and humanitarian workers.
	The statement is available at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view=PressS &id=14479209
	The government of Sudan have said they will continue to work with UN agencies and missions.
	We are very concerned by the humanitarian implications of its decision to expel 13 international humanitarian non-governmental organisations (NGOs), many of whom work closely with the UN. We endorse the UN Secretary-General's call for the government of Sudan urgently to reconsider this decision. We are in close touch on this with the UN, NGOs and other partners.

Sudan: War Crimes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to the Government of Sudan consequent on the indictment of President Omar al-Bashir; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: We are gravely concerned by the humanitarian impact of Sudan's decision to expel 13 international non-governmental organisations following the International Criminal Court's announcement. UN humanitarian officials have said this will disrupt over 50 per cent. of the current humanitarian effort in Darfur.
	On 5 March 2009 our ambassador in Khartoum urged the Government of Sudan to reconsider. The UN Secretary General, the US and the EU have done the same.
	We are underlining the potential risks with the African Union, Arab League and others.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which trade unions are recognised in his Department.

Gillian Merron: The following three unions have agreed rights to represent employees in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services:
	Public and Commercial Services Union
	The Diplomatic Service Association—the diplomatic service section of the FDA (formerly First Division Association)
	Prospect—representing technical staff and other specialists

United Arab Emirates: Sports

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the decision taken by the United Arab Emirates government to deny Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer a visa for the recent World Tennis Association tournament in Dubai.

Bill Rammell: We are aware of reports about the decision taken by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government to deny Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer a visa for the recent Women's Tennis Association tournament in Dubai. However, this is an issue for the Governments of Israel and the UAE. We continue to oppose boycotts of Israel and strive for a lasting peace between the Arab world and Israel.

Venezuela: Politics and Government

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government's policy of the outcome of the recent referendum in Venezuela; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The UK and Venezuela will continue to have a constructive bi-lateral relationship based on shared interests and objectives in areas such as trade, counter-narcotics, energy and consular assistance.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2009W, on Western Sahara, if he will make representations to the Moroccan Ambassador to the UK on Morocco's continued occupation of Western Sahara when she takes up her post in London.

Bill Rammell: The new Moroccan ambassador to the UK has now taken up her post in London. She has yet to meet with Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials.
	As with all parties to the ongoing dispute, we continue to encourage Morocco to enter into the UN-led negotiation process in a spirit of realism and compromise; and to work towards a mutually acceptable political solution that will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, as called for by the UN Security Council.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1598W, on Western Sahara: politics and government, what the Government's policy is on the inclusion of independence as a referendum option under any agreement.

Bill Rammell: The Government continue to believe that progress towards a negotiated solution to the dispute in Western Sahara providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, is best achieved under the auspices of the UN. The Government also continue to believe any referendum on the future status of Western Sahara and the options it presents should be the result of the UN led negotiation process and agreed by all parties to the dispute.

Written Questions: Government Responses

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to answer Question 243945 tabled on 10 December 2008 on overseas posts.

David Miliband: The question was answered on 10 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 217-20W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Departmental Responsibilities

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Ministerial  (a) taskforces and  (b) action groups she is a member of.

Jacqui Smith: I am a member of two ministerial taskforces and action groups: the Identity Cards Working Group and the Ministerial Action Group on Violence. However I attend many other meetings with Ministers and external stakeholders.

Drugs: Crime

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons her Department does not make an annual estimate of the levels of acquisitive crime associated with drug addiction; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The Department does not produce annual estimates of drug-related acquisitive crime. Both drug use and offending are often covert activities and the relationship between them can be complex, consequently such estimates are subject to large uncertainties.
	The Department has published research that shows that drug users account for a large proportion of acquisitive crime, with recent survey data focusing on the extent of acquisitive crime that is class A drug-related. For example:
	81 per cent. of arrestees who used heroin and/or crack cocaine (HC) on at least a weekly basis reported committing acquisitive crimes in the 12 months prior to arrest, in comparison to 30 per cent. of those arrestees who did not take HC weekly(1). Additionally, around two-fifths (39 per cent.) of drug treatment seekers reported committing an acquisitive crime in the four weeks prior to interview. This figure rose in the case of heroin and crack cocaine users, with 55 per cent. reporting that they committed an acquisitive crime in the four weeks before interview(2).
	 Sources:
	(1 )Table 5.4 Home Office Statistical Bulletin 12/07
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1207.pdf
	(2) Home Office Research Report 3
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/horr03c.pdf

European Police Office

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding the UK is providing to Europol in 2008-09; and how many British  (a) police officers and  (b) civil servants are seconded to Europol.

Meg Hillier: The UK contribution to the funding of Europol in 2008-09 is EUR 9,421,740.
	There are no police officers currently seconded to Europol; there is one civil servant seconded. However, figures from 2008 show that 11 United Kingdom police officers and other law enforcement officers are also working at Europol on fixed term appointments.

Immigration Controls: Educational Institutions

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much it cost to establish the accreditation system for educational institutions under Tier 4 of the immigration controls established in 2008; and what estimate she has made of the annual costs of administering the system.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 9 March 2009
	Since 2007 Ofsted has been paid a total of £50,000 by the UK Border Agency and the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills to help establish the accreditation system for Tier 4 of the Points Based System. Ofsted assesses the accreditation bodies seeking to become approved by the UK Border Agency and chairs the bi-monthly meetings of the Accreditation Standards and Consistency Group.
	Discussions on the fees to be paid to Ofsted in the forthcoming year are currently ongoing.

Immigration Controls: Educational Institutions

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provisions have been made under Tier 4 of the immigration controls established in 2008 for students in respect of whom tuition fees are paid in advance.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 9 March 2009
	The Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 314) laid before the House on 9 March 2009, which will become effective on 31 March, includes the immigration rules for tier 4 of the points-based system. These will require that, in addition to having a valid visa letter from a licensed sponsor, a student will need to demonstrate that he or she meets the maintenance requirement of the rules in order to obtain sufficient points.
	In order to obtain the points for the funds requirement under tier 4, a student will need to show that he has the full cost of the fees of the course (for first year only if the course is longer than 12 months), plus maintenance of £800 for each month of the course if studying in London, or £600 for each month of the course if studying outside London, up to a maximum of nine months.
	If a student has already paid all or part of his fees in advance at the time of his application, he will need to provide verifiable evidence of this and will then need to demonstrate that he has sufficient money to cover the remainder of any fees and to maintain himself in the UK.

Passports: Fraud

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for passport fraud there have been in the last six years.

Meg Hillier: The figures recorded by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) for the number of prosecutions known to have been made against individuals who have fraudulently applied for passports, and convictions secured as a result of those prosecutions in the last six years are given in the following table.
	
		
			   Prosecutions  Convictions 
			 2003 16 — 
			 2004 54 — 
			 April 2005-March 2006 22 12 
			 April 2006-March 2007 75 55 
			 April 2000-March 2008 12 9 
			 April 2008-February 2009 17 5 
		
	
	It should be noted that IPS does not routinely receive feedback from the police or prosecution authorities on cases of passport fraud which are referred to them. The figures given above are therefore likely to be a significant underrepresentation of the number of prosecutions brought and convictions secured. IPS is working with the police and prosecution authorities to develop a more effective feedback mechanism. The figures collated by IPS prior to 2005 do not distinguish between successful and unsuccessful prosecutions.

Police

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work the Risk and Regulatory Advisory Council has undertaken on risk and policing.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Risk and Regulation Advisory Council (RRAC) is supported by a team within BERR and I have been advised as follows:
	The RRAC was asked by Sir Ronnie Flanagan in Recommendation 20 of his Review of Policing to
	"begin the national debate on risk aversion and culture change at a central government level".
	As an independent body without vested interests, the RRAC benefited from the ability to convene a group of considerable diversity, without attracting the prejudices of government-badged intervention. The RRAC brought together 47 stakeholders to debate this issue, including: the then Minister for Policing my right hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East (Mr. McNulty), Ken Jones, President of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO); Bob Jones, Chair of the Association of Police Authorities (APA); and Jim Barker-McCardle, Director of the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA). A full list of organisations is given as follows. The council's work brings together and adds to various currents of reform being considered across the police service, allowing synergies to emerge from previously unconnected viewpoints.
	Since responding to Sir Ronnie Flanagan in March 2008 the RRAC:
	has engaged widely with representatives from inside and outside the police service to understand the complexity of this issue. This culminated in the council's first major risk forum at the end of July;
	has identified (through the risk forum and subsequent debate within the community of practice) a vision of "risk-based decision-making" in policing: a more flexible policing environment where frontline officers are better equipped to evaluate risks and exercise their professional judgment to respond appropriately.
	Four inter-related unifying objectives have been identified for priority action:
	Creating a more constructive leadership environment
	Enhancing and embedding the concept of the "learning organisation" in the police
	Delivering bureaucracy that is flexible, adaptable and appropriate
	Improving public confidence in policing.
	has used these objectives, and associated options for delivery, to inform the work of the NPIA and ACPO in response to Recommendation 20. The RRAC continues to engage at official level with the Home Office, the NPIA, and ACPO; and at a more senior level with the Minister for Policing, Dennis O'Connor, HM Acting Chief Inspector of Constabulary, and Jan Berry, Chair of the Practitioners Group on Reducing Bureaucracy in the Police.
	and has created an on-going community of practice to support the leadership of the police service in implementing reforms that will have a positive impact on frontline policing.
	 Organisations represented in RRAC Risk Forum on Policing and Community of Practice
	Age Concern England
	All Parliamentary Committee on Policing
	Association of Chief Police Officers
	Association of Police Authorities
	Cabinet Office
	Cheshire police
	Children's Society
	Crown Prosecution Service
	Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
	Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
	Doughty Street Chambers
	Health and Safety Executive
	Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
	Home Office
	Humberside police
	Independent Police Complaints Commission
	Leicestershire police
	Liberty
	Local Government Association
	London School of Economics
	Luton and Dunstable Hospital Trust
	Metropolitan police
	NAPO
	National Policing Improvement Agency
	Police Federation
	Police Superintendents Association
	Society of Editors, The
	Staffordshire police
	Staffordshire Police Authority
	Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, The
	Surrey police
	UNISON
	University of Portsmouth
	Victim Support
	West Midlands police
	Wiltshire police
	Work Foundation, The

Police: Finance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much each police force has received from central government in each year since 2000; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £  m illion 
			   Government g rant( 1,)( 2) 
			  Police authority  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06( 4)  2006-07  2007-08( 5)  2008-09( 5) 
			 Avon and Somerset 146.96 152.58 158.87 173.99 175.19 183.81 185.92 184.21 194.47 
			 Bedfordshire 54.24 59.89 61.51 66.83 69.22 73.11 74.15 76.21 79.48 
			 Cambridgeshire 66.89 71.27 76.80 77.96 79.66 85.26 82.33 85.58 87.90 
			 Cheshire 94.16 100.79 103.02 112.59 119.77 124.28 130.88 136.13 138.45 
			 Cleveland 76.30 80.96 84.06 90.97 94.79 99.54 101.32 105.29 107.46 
			 Cumbria 53.66 55.61 60.11 63.08 65.27 68.71 72.43 72.29 79.09 
			 Derbyshire 94.24 101.56 106.46 111.23 114.88 119.38 117.32 119.81 123.27 
			 Devon and Cornwall 152.88 163.44 167.49 174.26 180.29 189.16 190.95 199.38 203.75 
			 Dorset 58.82 62.45 65.46 71.17 75.46 73.19 81.17 82.66 83.29 
			 Durham 74.77 77.69 81.78 86.93 90.27 95.28 94.36 97.68 98.31 
			 Dyfed-Powys 26.77 28.00 28.17 30.12 32.23 33.61 32.69 34.17 35.64 
			 Essex 142.51 152.99 157.94 169.34 173.67 181.81 180.43 187.91 196.32 
			 Gloucestershire 52.88 55.55 58.78 61.48 63.66 68.00 67.93 71.35 71.90 
			 Greater Manchester 351.70 374.55 384.68 417.66 433.15 462.73 479.73 484.16 518.84 
			 Gwent 35.83 37.23 37.64 40.90 43.29 44.44 44.27 45.70 46.07 
			 Hampshire 169.64 178.39 185.16 197.87 208.08 239.16 222.35 221.75 227.05 
			 Hertfordshire 92.89 100.61 102.27 108.85 114.58 117.84 121.12 127.33 130.65 
			 Humberside 103.06 106.20 110.26 117.34 124.65 132.49 135.00 134.90 137.87 
			 Kent 162.74 178.10 179.96 188.38 198.30 203.93 193.45 219.23 224.19 
			 Lancashire 163.35 173.85 174.78 188.91 196.55 205.41 207.98 215.90 221.02 
			 Leicestershire 90.60 94.60 101.21 107.59 111.45 118.17 124.81 126.03 129.42 
			 Lincolnshire 56.43 60.34 60.97 64.98 68.22 71.17 66.54 72.47 71.10 
			 Merseyside 220.65 235.53 241.29 267.38 269.90 279.85 276.08 287.30 291.72 
			 Metropolitan(3) 1,601.10 1,731.70 1,838.70 1,923.90 1,983.50 1,928.50 2,019.00 2,115.40 2,162.26 
			 Norfolk 74.20 81.58 86.60 90.79 94.37 99.27 100.08 102.25 103.16 
			 North Wales 39.16 41.36 41.11 44.71 47.08 49.47 48.07 50.28 51.53 
			 North Yorkshire 66.55 72.69 71.68 78.89 80.61 83.73 86.24 79.39 84.45 
			 Northamptonshire 57.14 59.46 62.21 69.79 70.71 72.37 75.49 78.53 82.02 
			 Northumbria 197.06 209.79 211.02 226.21 233.28 250.55 249.17 260.01 267.01 
			 Nottinghamshire 113.91 123.97 129.84 136.54 142.04 148.94 143.48 145.55 149.74 
			 South Wales 84.27 88.02 89.25 93.45 103.17 107.45 91.93 94.82 97.25 
			 South Yorkshire 159.24 167.09 168.77 184.86 191.87 202.82 205.49 211.15 216.32 
			 Staffordshire 100.13 105.23 106.36 112.87 117.62 122.43 122.05 126.77 129.76 
			 Suffolk 59.09 62.24 62.02 69.57 71.81 74.76 73.73 75.57 77.24 
			 Surrey 83.09 83.35 87.48 93.59 96.78 100.80 104.76 110.12 113.62 
			 Sussex 142.03 149.10 153.68 168.05 180.99 180.95 156.10 189.14 193.09 
			 Thames Valley 193.02 210.13 219.41 233.34 237.32 249.35 260.52 261.98 267.92 
			 Warwickshire 44.98 46.90 48.67 51.91 53.90 56.16 54.57 56.91 59.77 
			 West Mercia 98.36 108.63 109.21 114.12 117.77 122.50 126.05 131.49 134.71 
			 West Midlands 357.58 379.35 388.14 415.20 433.31 466.12 471.41 487.88 509.25 
			 West Yorkshire 268.61 287.07 288.26 310.30 329.12 347.12 345.62 348.95 384.82 
			 Wiltshire 57.20 60.89 60.78 64.68 65.85 70.26 68.77 73.03 74.49 
			 England and Wales Total 4,737.60 5,038.79 5,173.15 5,548.65 5,770.08 6,075.37 6,066.75 6,271.23 6,493.41 
			 (1) Revenue funding includes all grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services), and includes formula grant and all specific grants. (2) Welsh Government Grant includes Home Office police grant floor funding and additional support provided to ensure Welsh police authorities receive at least a minimum increase in grant in line with English authorities. (3) The data for Metropolitan police authority from 2000-01 onwards are not available from DCLG as they are collected as consolidated data from GLA. Data used are compiled from Home Office data for allocated grants. (4) In 2005-06 figures were adjusted for comparison purposes following the transfer of pensions and security funding from general grant in 2006-07 so are not directly comparable. (5) 2007-08 and 2008-09 Government grant figures are budget figures.  Source: DCLG from English police authorities/WAG—from Welsh police authorities.

Police: Finance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sums the police funding formula has provided for each force in each year since 2000; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Police authority  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Avon and Somerset 87,399,606 90,823,417 91,025,174 97,497,303 99,125,691 
			 Bedfordshire 32,334,708 34,154,268 34,313,252 37,172,121 38,042,531 
			 Cambridgeshire 39,018,222 40,913,279 40,842,075 45,699,504 46,576,977 
			 Cheshire 56,560,641 59,607,363 59,689,589 65,768,627 66,566,930 
			 City of London Police 27,499,587 28,410,238 29,843,245 32,466,804 32,721,468 
			 Cleveland 42,689,084 44,526,791 44,723,013 47,515,422 47,387,781 
			 Cumbria 31,375,021 32,528,449 32,733,488 34,881,827 34,780,111 
			 Derbyshire 53,034,717 55,605,738 56,470,734 59,786,434 61,522,366 
			 Devon and Cornwall 90,407,760 94,453,687 94,722,350 101,224,311 103,062,803 
			 Dorset 36,365,315 37,515,257 37,600,585 39,688,640 40,137,675 
			 Durham 42,312,761 43,883,735 43,958,181 46,764,624 47,311,229 
			 Dyfed-Powys 26,772,684 27,995,519 28,173,194 30,116,651 30,821,707 
			 Essex 88,731,577 92,986,657 92,346,333 94,671,043 96,185,263 
			 Gloucestershire 32,013,199 33,623,920 33,653,863 36,000,214 36,225,217 
			 Greater Manchester 195,042,589 203,348,383 203,722,362 219,352,833 223,748,169 
			 Gwent 35,833,320 37,233,199 37,640,172 40,903,387 41,172,592 
			 Hampshire 102,468,115 107,629,660 108,365,042 114,032,123 117,214,067 
			 Hertfordshire 60,646,710 62,171,998 61,940,063 64,815,800 66,002,916 
			 Humberside 58,960,491 60,788,125 60,476,986 64,945,300 65,944,334 
			 Kent 96,482,918 102,643,758 102,446,510 106,107,422 105,806,169 
			 Lancashire 93,572,113 96,913,624 97,392,588 105,221,722 107,607,882 
			 Leicestershire 53,166,059 55,515,468 55,659,650 60,032,339 61,490,493 
			 Lincolnshire 32,949,903 34,368,471 34,305,310 36,915,707 37,928,015 
			 Merseyside 122,150,411 126,726,928 126,336,316 134,476,810 135,220,409 
			 Metropolitan 956,094,652 1,007,548,948 1,015,895,687 1,082,393,976 1,123,084,093 
			 Norfolk 43,604,366 45,902,498 46,284,453 49,981,980 50,952,938 
			 North Wales 39,155,787 41,355,372 41,105,875 44,713,496 45,563,347 
			 North Yorkshire 40,106,187 42,078,019 42,026,127 44,615,774 45,448,481 
			 Northamptonshire 34,152,676 35,608,101 35,505,178 39,929,177 41,055,295 
			 Northumbria 109,719,591 113,786,288 113,187,850 123,558,391 124,859,764 
			 Nottinghamshire 65,244,353 67,898,202 67,683,907 72,417,105 74,153,661 
			 South Wales 84,271,379 88,021,716 89,252,826 93,451,901 94,481,939 
			 South Yorkshire 89,258,901 92,560,165 92,071,806 98,448,333 99,736,023 
			 Staffordshire 58,772,647 60,919,827 60,965,947 64,441,849 64,865,495 
			 Suffolk 35,856,767 37,751,403 37,702,731 40,324,112 40,383,362 
			 Surrey 58,019,140 56,370,738 55,242,942 53,950,431 54,987,597 
			 Sussex 86,972,591 91,295,477 91,312,691 94,854,341 96,355,063 
			 Thames Valley 116,689,318 122,843,310 122,386,580 132,223,014 134,382,372 
			 Warwickshire 27,288,322 28,440,936 28,078,851 30,646,808 31,521,336 
			 West Mercia 58,841,597 62,067,980 61,765,548 66,706,020 68,584,593 
			 West Midlands 198,099,416 205,624,702 206,139,660 231,264,472 235,943,043 
			 West Yorkshire 149,798,312 155,822,479 155,924,778 170,182,426 172,834,553 
			 Wiltshire 33,626,487 34,844,907 34,566,488 37,830,426 38,148,250 
			 Total England and Wales 3,823,360,000 3,995,109,000 4,005,480,000 4,287,991,000 4,379,944,000 
		
	
	
		
			  £ 
			  Police authority  2005-06  2006-07( 1)  2007-08( 1)  2008-09( 1)  2009-10( 1) 
			 Avon and Somerset 105,402,108 98,859,781 101,386,013 104,648,915 107,970,034 
			 Bedfordshire 40,023,541 38,331,934 39,321,366 40,114,378 41,364,028 
			 Cambridgeshire 49,442,382 44,536,594 45,827,889 46,983,075 48,522,197 
			 Cheshire 68,770,973 62,053,729 63,403,224 63,626,051 65,310,188 
			 City of London Police 35,730,725 21,780,359 22,777,445 20,164,287 20,972,046 
			 Cleveland 50,961,807 45,550,280 46,314,175 47,761,626 48,939,479 
			 Cumbria 36,571,836 29,461,117 30,067,923 30,766,382 31,577,098 
			 Derbyshire 63,185,709 60,658,122 62,057,185 63,421,510 65,213,723 
			 Devon and Cornwall 107,153,408 99,312,098 101,940,020 104,461,448 107,814,959 
			 Dorset 41,766,284 38,277,430 39,193,616 39,596,751 40,675,811 
			 Durham 49,236,202 42,314,352 43,126,294 43,972,534 45,042,923 
			 Dyfed-Powys 32,334,347 30,101,614 30,515,012 30,055,562 30,849,395 
			 Essex 100,515,508 98,828,343 101,213,005 105,210,353 108,373,887 
			 Gloucestershire 37,862,044 32,962,364 33,771,205 33,822,902 34,753,845 
			 Greater Manchester 233,165,923 220,764,792 225,373,682 232,718,485 238,983,616 
			 Gwent 43,457,567 43,167,144 43,784,998 44,694,954 45,912,823 
			 Hampshire 121,044,966 113,019,810 115,701,985 118,472,352 121,850,938 
			 Hertfordshire 68,902,843 69,542,743 71,223,878 73,066,019 75,202,580 
			 Humberside 68,511,918 61,677,974 62,939,367 66,104,705 68,022,083 
			 Kent 111,375,782 103,071,177 105,762,705 109,442,380 112,780,461 
			 Lancashire 111,620,010 100,720,276 102,924,275 106,612,752 109,659,146 
			 Leicestershire 65,595,990 61,364,008 62,812,898 64,317,971 66,132,020 
			 Lincolnshire 40,040,556 35,634,268 36,692,789 38,077,077 39,401,671 
			 Merseyside 139,875,905 125,466,447 127,673,757 131,347,322 134,323,437 
			 Metropolitan 1,177,238,422 1,001,272,548 1,026,711,642 1,053,284,752 1,083,629,334 
			 Norfolk 53,393,173 45,881,630 47,130,402 48,835,666 50,394,120 
			 North Wales 47,530,016 42,430,467 42,980,041 43,059,496 44,159,080 
			 North Yorkshire 47,213,578 40,673,773 41,642,518 42,994,166 44,326,041 
			 Northamptonshire 42,629,754 39,657,024 40,694,976 42,075,027 43,449,956 
			 Northumbria 130,020,176 105,706,944 107,608,914 108,833,223 111,322,014 
			 Nottinghamshire 77,502,952 71,490,215 73,014,681 76,282,457 78,454,321 
			 South Wales 97,992,838 91,931,721 94,815,430 97,251,235 99,808,072 
			 South Yorkshire 103,862,931 97,083,391 99,050,816 101,663,279 104,316,858 
			 Staffordshire 68,021,216 63,567,388 64,803,792 67,064,281 68,773,607 
			 Suffolk 42,856,865 38,164,681 39,154,398 40,240,676 41,497,864 
			 Surrey 57,790,652 61,759,094 63,220,755 64,347,634 66,131,768 
			 Sussex 99,329,967 92,031,598 94,359,320 96,401,140 99,197,503 
			 Thames Valley 139,463,100 135,246,817 138,457,244 140,746,896 144,627,865 
			 Warwickshire 32,902,060 30,577,272 31,378,293 31,690,650 32,648,789 
			 West Mercia 70,433,269 63,740,053 65,215,037 66,090,965 67,931,247 
			 West Midlands 244,071,010 241,880,368 246,805,622 255,342,775 261,793,014 
			 West Yorkshire 179,462,922 167,175,073 170,948,955 177,985,725 183,231,315 
			 Wiltshire 39,680,765 35,695,187 36,624,458 37,462,454 38,585,059 
			 Total England and Wales 4,573,944,000 4,143,422,000 4,240,422,000 4,351,112,288 4,473,926,2151 
			 (1) Welsh figures adjusted to include Rule 1.   Source: Police Grant Reports for England and Wales. 
		
	
	—continued

Police: Road Traffic Control

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent dedicated traffic police there were in each police authority area in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Data are available for officers whose primary function is listed as traffic. These are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officers FTE( 1)  whose main function is 'Traffic '( 2) 
			   1996-97( 3)  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Avon and Somerset — 211 207 200 211 214 216 222 228 215 148 160 
			 Bedfordshire — 89 79 73 69 69 75 80 80 81 68 65 
			 Cambridgeshire — 91 96 93 86 78 85 99 101 99 96 90 
			 Cheshire — 204 205 196 187 194 194 200 194 85 91 94 
			 Cleveland — 82 67 68 63 67 64 73 2 61 72 104 
			 Cumbria — 117 117 119 111 108 107 110 108 111 114 99 
			 Derbyshire — 139 147 139 136 140 107 121 116 119 110 109 
			 Devon and Cornwall — 215 212 215 202 187 192 198 211 215 225 232 
			 Dorset — 93 77 83 86 81 91 86 82 81 80 78 
			 Durham — 115 117 116 113 113 111 119 108 105 100 107 
			 Dyfed-Powys — 89 97 93 83 75 136 105 141 143 136 126 
			 Essex — 268 259 245 249 254 241 242 243 243 231 219 
			 Gloucestershire — 83 82 68 69 64 62 66 67 73 67 67 
			 Greater Manchester — 429 434 433 423 421 406 392 359 342 352 338 
			 Gwent — 93 88 90 89 87 93 95 96 102 95 57 
			 Hampshire — 261 278 251 240 240 248 246 244 240 237 214 
			 Hertfordshire — 157 158 155 168 149 150 151 149 149 145 152 
			 Humberside — 165 149 155 145 136 123 119 225 181 100 104 
			 Kent — 149 119 103 104 104 104 — 122 116 109 122 
			 Lancashire — 422 225 220 217 220 198 187 190 197 184 180 
			 Leicestershire — 85 86 87 95 0 92 95 85 77 72 74 
			 Lincolnshire — 95 95 93 88 98 90 89 96 102 100 92 
			 City of London — 32 24 22 24 25 24 24 28 24 23 26 
			 Merseyside — 197 200 185 130 126 125 119 115 138 150 152 
			 Metropolitan Police — 823 782 824 686 0 583 592 1,029 603 611 612 
			 Norfolk — 111 107 109 113 114 120 121 107 112 110 118 
			 Northamptonshire — 97 87 52 52 61 70 71 65 63 63 60 
			 Northumbria — 164 162 158 158 178 245 253 165 167 172 165 
			 North Wales — 143 236 134 146 152 115 114 76 81 98 90 
			 North Yorkshire — 127 128 96 129 140 151 138 101 97 99 105 
			 Nottinghamshire — 177 182 167 175 111 26 121 133 134 139 144 
			 South Wales — 155 220 224 238 244 243 245 243 243 252 233 
			 South Yorkshire — 197 197 196 206 208 180 127 134 141 143 144 
			 Staffordshire — 204 208 188 35 34 50 49 58 28 35 34 
			 Suffolk — 68 74 70 63 68 68 72 76 80 77 81 
			 Surrey — 176 177 173 197 110 108 110 107 99 87 98 
			 Sussex — 206 197 191 190 174 164 163 163 160 169 160 
			 Thames Valley — 272 265 251 251 247 259 259 245 236 237 250 
			 Warwickshire — 102 106 102 96 95 103 103 93 97 93 93 
			 West Mercia — 239 238 278 322 325 292 115 117 116 129 128 
			 West Midlands — 412 405 394 380 385 384 405 393 401 383 352 
			 West Yorkshire — 307 331 323 326 336 320 314 317 343 324 283 
			 Wiltshire — 96 90 93 91 88 91 96 93 13 89 91 
			 Total 7,523 7,951 7,806 7,522 7,238 6,317 6,902 6,706 7,104 6,511 6,412 6,299 
			 (1) This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their 'primary' role or function. The traffic function includes staff who are predominantly employed on motorcycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway-related duties. This does not include officers employed in accident investigation or vehicle examination. (3) Data are unavailable for 1996-07 by police force area

Police: Stun Guns

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police forces had access to and  (b) police officers were permitted to use Taser guns in each of the last five years; and what forecast she has made of the equivalent figures for each of the next three years.

Jacqui Smith: In 2004, following a trial in five forces, the then Home Secretary agreed that chief officers of all police forces in England and Wales could make Taser available to authorised firearms officers as a less lethal option for use in situations where a firearms authority had been granted in accordance with criteria laid down in the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) manual of guidance on police use of firearms.
	The Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) announced on 19 July 2007 that authorised police firearms officers in England and Wales would be able to use Taser in a wider set of circumstances. These officers are now able to deploy Taser in operations or incidents where the use of firearms is not authorised, but where they are facing violence or threats of violence of such severity that they would need to use force to protect the public, themselves or the subject.
	Following the success of a 12 month trial in 10 police forces, I agreed on 24 November 2008 to allow chief officers of all forces in England and Wales, from 1 December 2008, to extend the use of Taser to specially trained units in accordance with current Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) policy and guidance. This sets out that Taser can only be used by specially trained units where officers would be facing violence or threats of violence of such severity that they would need to use force to protect the public, themselves and/or the subject(s).
	I announced on 24 November 2008 that the Home Office would be making available a one-off injection of funding to support the purchase of up to 10,000 Tasers for use by police forces in England and Wales based on their own operational requirements.

Sexual Offences: Rural Areas

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many recorded rapes against women in rural areas there were in each of the last 10 years; and what the sanction detection rates were in each case;
	(2)  how many cases of rape against women were recorded by each police force in each of the last 10 years; and what the sanction detection rate was in each case.

Jacqui Smith: The available information is given in the following tables. Sanction detection rates are only available from 2002-03.
	
		
			  Table 1: Offences of rape of a female recorded by the police ,  1998-99 to 2001-02( 1) 
			  Police force  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			  'Rural' forces( 2) 
			 Cambridgeshire 79 97 102 144 
			 Cumbria 43 33 37 44 
			 Devon and Cornwall 163 150 168 165 
			 Durham 54 58 45 71 
			 Dyfed-Powys 37 49 46 46 
			 Gloucestershire 51 63 85 49 
			 Lincolnshire 59 51 63 103 
			 Norfolk 99 82 103 103 
			 North Wales 68 88 89 111 
			 North Yorkshire 42 39 46 65 
			 Suffolk 81 80 94 112 
			 West Mercia 96 86 105 169 
			 Wiltshire 84 78 72 85 
			  
			  'Non-rural' forces 
			 Avon and Somerset 160 166 188 302 
			 Bedfordshire 62 92 81 89 
			 British Transport Police — — n/a n/a 
			 Cheshire 105 62 80 69 
			 Cleveland 47 45 36 54 
			 Derbyshire 103 98 102 113 
			 Dorset 49 61 67 108 
			 Essex 174 184 153 190 
			 Greater Manchester 514 512 508 526 
			 Gwent 77 94 76 101 
			 Hampshire 171 228 257 279 
			 Hertfordshire 48 63 82 81 
			 Humberside 117 160 134 151 
			 Kent 154 131 169 171 
			 Lancashire 147 136 182 174 
			 Leicestershire 138 141 142 152 
			 London, City of 4 1 2 9 
			 Merseyside 167 219 214 256 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,900 2,142 2,044 2,336 
			 Northamptonshire 57 42 56 91 
			 Northumbria 258 227 208 259 
			 Nottinghamshire 153 210 211 227 
			 South Wales 147 115 115 112 
			 South Yorkshire 97 114 112 105 
			 Staffordshire 110 175 182 197 
			 Surrey 62 72 119 110 
			 Sussex 190 198 237 215 
			 Thames Valley 181 218 245 269 
			 Warwickshire 29 19 25 30 
			 West Midlands 355 481 499 553 
			 West Yorkshire 400 449 348 406 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. (2) The defining of rural police force areas within England and Wales has been taken in accordance with the ACORN ("A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods") guidance as published in the Statistical Bulletin 01/02 "Rural Crime England and Wales". The data cover 13 forces which ACORN defines as either 'Most Rural' (Dyfed-Powys, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and North Wales) or 'Less Rural' (Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Mercia and Wiltshire). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Offences of rape of a female recorded by the police ,  2002-03 to 2007-08( 1) 
			  Police force  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  'Rural' forces( 2)   
			 Cambridgeshire 177 216 219 193 193 198 
			 Cumbria 61 71 73 73 63 78 
			 Devon and Cornwall 255 303 348 361 355 360 
			 Durham 53 68 83 129 76 117 
			 Dyfed-Powys 44 99 94 79 92 66 
			 Gloucestershire 109 97 105 145 150 130 
			 Lincolnshire 128 156 164 169 147 154 
			 Norfolk 170 196 170 209 147 128 
			 North Wales 106 132 148 156 99 142 
			 North Yorkshire 126 115 132 134 128 121 
			 Suffolk 143 166 169 192 161 151 
			 West Mercia 205 210 199 212 208 229 
			 Wiltshire 147 131 97 138 141 128 
			
			  'Non-rural' forces   
			 Avon and Somerset 361 447 427 295 393 352 
			 Bedfordshire 116 139 149 188 141 106 
			 Cheshire 104 172 184 165 150 140 
			 Cleveland 96 139 135 158 125 130 
			 Derbyshire 185 221 257 253 253 217 
			 Dorset 128 137 149 166 115 192 
			 Essex 281 316 320 352 324 264 
			 Greater Manchester 667 790 812 769 767 712 
			 Gwent 137 77 103 112 132 164 
			 Hampshire 342 439 573 618 592 549 
			 Hertfordshire 160 149 179 197 179 163 
			 Humberside 239 330 286 323 264 237 
			 Kent 201 268 329 413 368 379 
			 Lancashire 225 241 249 299 257 232 
			 Leicestershire 237 238 291 287 275 315 
			 London, City of 3 3 7 5 8 3 
			 Merseyside 320 360 342 356 274 231 
			 Metropolitan Police 2,580 2,417 2,282 2,249 2,144 1,792 
			 Northamptonshire 158 144 116 152 147 138 
			 Northumbria 313 305 306 325 307 232 
			 Nottinghamshire 225 273 230 236 223 209 
			 South Wales 174 177 165 193 240 232 
			 South Yorkshire 181 170 261 294 241 219 
			 Staffordshire 236 226 275 267 265 224 
			 Surrey 127 138 120 135 134 144 
			 Sussex 327 276 414 399 413 293 
			 Thames Valley 335 409 377 425 411 356 
			 Warwickshire 59 73 83 75 93 96 
			 West Midlands 679 747 882 856 834 748 
			 West Yorkshire 514 572 526 558 579 563 
			 (1) The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. (2 )The defining of rural police force areas within England and Wales has been taken in accordance with the ACORN ("A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods") guidance as published in the Statistical Bulletin 01/02 "Rural Crime England and Wales". The data cover 13 forces which ACORN defines as either 'Most Rural' (Dyfed-Powys, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and North Wales) or 'Less Rural' (Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Mercia and Wiltshire). 
		
	
	—continued
	
		
			  Table 3: Sanction detection rates for offences of rape of a female ,  2002-03 to 2007-08 
			  Percentage 
			  Police force  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  'Rural' forces( 1)   
			 Cambridgeshire 19 11 21 21 15 17 
			 Cumbria 54 28 29 37 43 24 
			 Devon and Cornwall 26 17 22 14 19 17 
			 Durham n/a n/a 51 22 45 44 
			 Dyfed-Powys 43 25 30 15 28 21 
			 Gloucestershire 29 27 26 19 19 31 
			 Lincolnshire 32 21 24 20 22 18 
			 Norfolk 18 19 17 21 22 21 
			 North Wales 20 23 24 20 14 15 
			 North Yorkshire 36 37 32 25 38 24 
			 Suffolk 29 27 17 23 18 17 
			 West Mercia 30 33 27 26 17 22 
			 Wiltshire 23 24 25 31 18 21 
			
			  'Non-rural' forces   
			 Avon and Somerset 22 21 17 22 20 24 
			 Bedfordshire 30 20 23 21 15 18 
			 British Transport Police 55 48 18 35 31 21 
			 Cheshire 31 26 26 25 27 28 
			 Cleveland 41 29 20 37 33 26 
			 Derbyshire 33 31 26 29 19 29 
			 Dorset 21 17 15 16 29 17 
			 Essex 21 24 21 23 22 19 
			 Greater Manchester 32 27 28 28 31 36 
			 Gwent 62 57 35 37 31 18 
			 Hampshire 35 28 23 19 19 18 
			 Hertfordshire 31 39 28 34 26 20 
			 Humberside 19 19 20 22 25 22 
			 Kent 37 28 20 19 23 25 
			 Lancashire 50 32 35 35 34 28 
			 Leicestershire 22 26 22 16 20 12 
			 London, City of 67 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 37 26 22 18 22 18 
			 Metropolitan Police 26 26 25 31 33 33 
			 Northamptonshire 39 27 28 26 23 20 
			 Northumbria 31 27 24 26 29 29 
			 Nottinghamshire 33 25 32 25 30 23 
			 South Wales 61 51 57 30 29 40 
			 South Yorkshire 38 36 29 22 27 30 
			 Staffordshire 30 28 27 22 23 23 
			 Surrey 24 33 21 30 27 24 
			 Sussex 22 21 14 18 13 19 
			 Thames Valley 25 17 22 21 19 18 
			 Warwickshire 24 15 24 19 16 19 
			 West Midlands 42 31 25 30 24 24 
			 West Yorkshire 30 28 24 21 17 24 
			 n/a = not available (1) The defining of rural police force areas within England and Wales has been taken in accordance with the ACORN ("A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods") guidance as published in the Statistical Bulletin 01/02 "Rural Crime England and Wales". The data cover 13 forces which ACORN defines as either 'Most Rural' (Dyfed-Powys, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and North Wales) or 'Less Rural' (Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Mercia and Wiltshire).

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Learning and Skills Council

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many funding decisions originally planned to be made in financial year 2008-09 by the Learning and Skills Council relating to university projects have not been made in accordance with the originally planned timetable; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: Between 1997 and 2007, this Government has invested more than £2 billion in FE capital. We will spend another £2.3 billion in the current spending review period. This investment has meant more than 700 projects in 330 colleges have been agreed.
	Last week the LSC approved eight new capital projects following its assessment of colleges currently seeking approval and we will provide more than £300 million to support these projects. The LSC has also completed its assessment of other colleges seeking approval in principle or detail. I am informed that the LSC has already given 79 colleges the first stage of approval in principle. A further 65 colleges have submitted bids to the national LSC for approval in principle.
	As a consequence, there are many more schemes currently in preparation than can be funded in this spending round. For that reason, I agreed with the LSC that they would appoint an independent reviewer— Sir Andrew Foster—to find out how this situation arose and what lessons must be learnt for the future.

Further Education Capital Projects

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much is planned to be spent on capital projects in further education in 2009-10.

Si�n Simon: The expected total DIUS capital budget allocated to the Learning and Skills Council in 2009-10 is 609 million. This is part of our overall investment in FE capital over the current spending review of 2.3 billionwe have brought forward 220 million of this investment into earlier years as part of our response to the economic downturn and we anticipate spending the full 2.3 billion in this spending review period.

Basford Hall Campus

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what progress has been made on redevelopment of Basford Hall campus.

Si�n Simon: I understand that New College Nottingham has submitted a capital proposal to the Learning and Skills Council for a new campus at Basford Hall, seeking approval in principle.
	However, LSC's assessment of current colleges proposals seeking approval in principle and in detail has demonstrated that there are many more schemes currently in preparation than can be funded in this spending round. We have agreed with the LSC that Sir Andrew Foster will undertake an independent review to understand how this position arose and what lessons must be learnt. The LSC will also now consult with the Association of Colleges and other FE sector representatives to advise on ways of prioritising schemes in the future programme.
	The Basford Hall scheme will therefore need to be considered as part of this consultation on prioritisation.

Apprenticeships

Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department plans to take to increase the number of people beginning apprenticeships.

Si�n Simon: We are taking a wide range of steps to encourage more people to take up apprenticeships and for more employers to offer high quality places. In 2007-08 we saw a record high 225,000 people starting an apprenticeship, up from 65,000 in 1996-97. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeshipup from 37 per cent. in 2004-05. Last year 420 young people and adults started an apprenticeship in Walsall South, the highest number for five years. We also believe apprenticeships can play a key role in our response to the current economic downturn. The Prime Minister recently announced a 140 million package to provide an extra 35,000 apprenticeship places, of which at least 21,000 will be in the public sector. To continue to raise awareness and encourage more employers to take on or offer more apprenticeships, a national advertising campaign started last month fronted by Sir Alan Sugar.

Unemployment New Skills

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans he has to encourage more private sector skills training providers to offer skills training to the unemployed.

John Denham: We have, and will continue, to encourage private providers to play an important role in offering skills training to the unemployed.
	This Government is spending 4.7 billion on adult skills this year. Nearly 20 per cent. of the Adult Learner Responsive and Employer Responsive budget was allocated through private providers in 2008-09.
	The majority of providers for the Employability Skills Programme are private providers. In response to the downturn, we announced in December an additional 100 million to support at least 40,000 people to have extra employability training. Private providers were eligible to apply to offer this training.

Unemployment New Skills

Liz Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department is taking to provide assistance for retraining to individuals who lose their jobs.

John Denham: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to the my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, South (Ms Taylor).

Critical Thinking and Philosophy

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his policy is on the provision of courses in critical thinking and philosophy in English universities.

David Lammy: The number of philosophy students going into higher education has increased by 15 per cent. between 2003-04 and 2008-09. There is strong demand from students, therefore, and a healthy supply of courses at English universities.
	The Government only take action on the provision of courses in higher education when they are considered to be both strategically important and vulnerable.

Apprenticeships Wirral, South

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many residents of Wirral, South constituency have received funding for apprenticeships in 2008-09.

Si�n Simon: 380 residents of the Wirral, South constituency started an apprenticeship in 2007-08, the latest complete year for which fully audited information is available.

Adult Learning

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans he has to increase opportunities for adult learning during the recession.

John Denham: I refer my hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, South (Ms Taylor)

Longbridge College

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the contribution the proposed new college at Longbridge will make to skills, training and further education in the South Birmingham area.

Si�n Simon: The impact that skills can have on local economic regeneration is significant. The work undertaken between the Learning and Skills Council, the Jobcentre Plus, Regional Development Agency, local businesses and other partners in the Longbridge and South Birmingham area is a clear example of the difference that skills can make in response to economic challenges.
	We recognise that college capital projects such as the proposed development of the Longbridge site as part of Bournville college's capital plans can also have a significant impact on local economic regeneration. Bournville college's capital proposals which include the development of a new college at the Longbridge site has been given approval in principle and as part of the approval process, the Learning and Skills Council will have assessed, among other things, the educational case of the scheme, including its skills contribution to the local area.
	The Learning and Skills Council has now completed its assessment of colleges seeking approval in principle and in detail which has confirmed there are many more schemes currently in preparation than can be funded in this spending round.
	The LSC will therefore consult with the Association of Colleges and other FE sector representatives to advise me on ways of prioritising schemes in the future. As a result, the Longbridge scheme will be subject to the outcome of this consultation.

Apprentices: Public Sector

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprenticeship places there have been in the public sector in each of the last 10 years.

Si�n Simon: We do not hold centrally data for the number of apprentices there have been in the public sector. The labour force survey estimates that less than 10 per cent. of apprentices are in the public sector but does not provide accurate figures for each of the last 10 years.
	The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships and have announced an additional 21,000 places in the public sector in the next financial year.
	Since 1997, we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007/08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeshipup from 37 per cent. in 2004/05.

Departmental Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which his Department has responsibility in the last five years who previously had careers in the banking industry.

Si�n Simon: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Further Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills with reference to the written ministerial statement of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 55WS, on capital spending programmes in further education colleges, which colleges have been given the first stage of approval in principle by the Learning and Skills Council; and which colleges have submitted bids to the Learning and Skills Council for approval in principle.

Si�n Simon: Capital funding for further education colleges is administered by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). As the information requested pertains to decisions and records held by the Council, I have asked Mark Haysom, the LSC Chief Executive, to write to the hon. Gentleman with the further information requested. A copy of his letter will be placed in the House Libraries.

Further Education: West Midlands

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the availability of resources to fund capital projects in the further education sector in the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: Since 1997 more than 2 billion has been invested in modernising further education facilities and we will spend another 2.3 billion in the current spending review period.
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC)which administers the programmemet on 4 March where it was decided to give detailed approval to eight schemes, including city of Stoke-on-Trent sixth-form college and Solihull college, both of which are in the West Midlands.
	However, from an LSC assessment of the overall programme, it is clear that even at current record levels of funding, not all schemes can be implemented on the time scales originally envisaged. We have therefore asked the council to consult with the Association of Colleges and the FE sector to advise us on ways of prioritising schemes in the future programme. We have also agreed with the council that they would appoint an independent reviewerSir Andrew Fosterto find out how this situation arose and what lessons must be learnt for the future.
	The short consultation will allow the LSC to confirm what the position is for those colleges that are currently developing capital proposals, including those within the West Midlands.

Higher Education: Admissions

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of school leavers resident in  (a) West Chelmsford constituency and  (b) Essex went on to higher education in each of the last 10 years.

David Lammy: The following table shows the number of 18-year-old entrants to undergraduate courses from West Chelmsford constituency and Essex local authority. It is not possible to identify the number of school leavers from these areas who did not enter higher education. It is not possible to identify whether entrants to higher education, from West Chelmsford constituency and Essex local authority, attended schools or FE colleges.
	
		
			  18-year-old undergraduate entrants( 1)  from West Chelmsford constituency( 2)  and Essex local authority( 2)  to UK higher education institutions( 3) , academic years 1998-99 to 2007-08 
			  Academic year  West Chelmsford  Essex 
			 1998-99 255 2,920 
			 1999-2000 270 3,035 
			 2000-01 320 3,060 
			 2001-02 285 3,140 
			 2002-03 320 3,295 
			 2003-04 350 3,290 
			 2004-05 335 3,380 
			 2005-06 365 3,655 
			 2006-07 385 3,670 
			 2007-08 385 3,940 
			 (1) Covers entrants studying both full-time and part-time courses (2) Parliamentary constituency and local authority are defined by full and valid home postcodes, returned by the student to HESA. (3) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series.  Note: Figures are based on a snapshot as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Measurement

Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what guidelines his Department issues on the enforcement of legal provisions in respect of imperial measurements.

David Lammy: LACORSthe Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Serviceshas published guidance in the past on enforcement of units of measurement legislation. My officials are working together with LACORSas well as other interested parties across Governmentto provide updated guidance to reflect the changes to the Units of Measurement Directive (80/181/EC) which will be implemented into UK law later this year, and to ensure that enforcement in this area remains proportionate and in the public interest.

Redundancy: Vocational Training

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department is taking to provide retraining for highly skilled workers who have been made redundant.

Si�n Simon: It is essential for the UK economy and for the individual themselves, that highly skilled workers have the opportunities and support to retrain for the jobs of the future. The 50 million Economic Challenge Investment Fund announced earlier this year will support them in a range of professional development courses, and access to specialist advice and guidance, as will the tripling of the number of professional and career development loans also recently announced. I am also aware that a number of universities are using savings from the reduction in VAT, announced last year by the Chancellor, to support those who have been made redundant or are at risk of being so.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bristol, West (Stephen Williams) of 9 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1266W, on higher education: EU nationals, how many times the Student Loans Company has successfully enforced repayment of loans from students domiciled in the EU but not in the UK using  (a) external trace agents,  (b) international debt collection companies and (c) EC regulation 44/2001;
	(2)  how many times the Student Loans Company has attempted to enforce repayment of student loans from students domiciled in the EU but not in the UK using  (a) external trace agents,  (b) international debt collection companies and  (c) EC regulation 44/2001.

David Lammy: EU students became eligible for tuition fee loans when they were introduced in 2006/07. The first full cohort of EU borrowers will graduate this summer, and will become due to start repaying their loans from April 2010. However, a small number have left their courses early, and became due to repay in either April 2007 or April 2008.
	Effective collection of student loans across the EU is underpinned by EC regulation 44/2001, which allows the Student Loans Company (SLC) to obtain judgments in UK courts which can be enforced by courts in other EU countries.
	Up to 3 March 2009, the SLC had contacted 54 EU borrowers in order to start this legal process. They were students who had studied in England and who are now resident overseas, but have not complied with the overseas repayment rules. Since attempting to enforce payment in this way, the SLC has had correspondence from 45 of the 54. SLC continues to pursue the remaining nine to enforce repayment.
	The SLC has not yet used external trace agents nor international debt collection companies but plans to do so later this year.

Training: Learning Disability

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that courses for people with learning disabilities are tailored to their needs.

David Lammy: Higher education institutions and further education colleges have a duty under Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) legislation to ensure that 'reasonable adjustments' are put in place for disabled people and through the disability equality duty to proactively promote disability equality in the public sector. Although course provision and delivery is a matter for the education institutions themselves, Government expect institutions to take account of the needs of disabled learners as part of an inclusive approach on these matters. I am pleased to say that the National Student Forum has been active in this area, ensuring that the voices of disabled students are heard.

Unemployed

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his latest assessment is of the effects of the recession on the number of young people over the age of 18 who are not in education, employment or training.

David Lammy: The proportion of young people who are NEET has fallen over last 10 years. The current economic climate will, of course, make it more difficult for some people to find employment. That is why this Government continue to take action on this agenda.
	The New Opportunities White Paper outlines commitment to ensure persistent NEETs have the right support and incentives to move off benefits, or out of inactivity, into education, training or work. We are raising the participation age for education and training to 18, have reformed and expanded apprenticeships, introduced 14-19 diplomas, and are spending 175 million on entry to employment this year.

York University

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what discussions he has had with the University of York on the development of its Heslington East campus.

David Lammy: We have set out the wide range of benefits which new university campuses can bring to people and places in our new University Challenge policy document published last year. We are very pleased with the interest which that has generated. However, we have had no discussions with the University of York on the development of the Heslington campus and any decisions on the merits of this and other similar development proposals have to be taken by the relevant authorities.

JUSTICE

Christmas

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether it is his Department's policy to offer staff  (a) additional leave entitlement for Christmas shopping and  (b) Christmas bonus payments.

Michael Wills: It is not Ministry of Justice policy to offer staff additional leave entitlement for Christmas shopping. There are no Christmas bonus payments given to Ministry of Justice staff.

Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what expenditure was incurred in the recruitment and appointment of the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses prior to January 2006.

Jack Straw: None. There was no expenditure relating to the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses prior to 2006.

Community Service Orders: Costs

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what costs his Department incurred in administering each type of community sentence in each of the last five years; and what the average administration costs per offender was.

Jack Straw: Probation Boards and Trusts meet the cost of delivering Community Sentences through their grant as they see fit to meet their statutory duties. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 established the new Community Order as a single community sentence with a number of elements in respect of offences committed after 4 April 2005. This replaced the separate community sentences which existed previously. From 2005 to present, cost exercises have been carried out by Probation Boards/Trusts annually and have produced the planned cost of a range of activities. Probation Boards and Trusts spent 614 million in 2007-08 supervising around 244,000 offenders. It is not currently possible to separate the cost of supervising offenders on community sentence as probation caseloads also include significant numbers of offenders who have been released from a custodial sentence or released temporarily into the community. Work is in hand in the National Offender Management Service to ensure that all offender services delivered in custody and in the community are properly specified and costed so that commissioners can ensure that resources are targeted effectively to protect the public and reduce re-offending.

Courts: Domestic Violence

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many specialist domestic violence courts have  (a) opened and  (b) closed in each year since their establishment.

Jack Straw: Specialist domestic violence courts are based on a partnership approach to domestic violence by the police, prosecutors, court staff, the probation service and specialist support services for victims. Agencies work together to identify, track and risk assess domestic violence cases, support victims of domestic violence and share information better so that more offenders are brought to justice.
	There were seven specialist domestic violence courts in 2004. Thereafter we have funded an additional 18 specialist domestic violence courts in 2005, 14 in 2006, 25 in 2007 and 40 in 2008. There are therefore currently 104 specialist domestic violence courts.
	None of the 104 specialist domestic violence courts have closed since opening.

Courts: Domestic Violence

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many specialist domestic violence courts there were in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of specialist domestic violence courts 
			 2004 7 
			 2005 25 
			 2006 39 
			 2007 64 
			 2008 104

Courts: Prison Accommodation

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were held in court cells in each month in the last three years; and at what cost.

Jack Straw: Court cells have not been used since 28/29 February 2008.
	Court cells were used to accommodate prisoners overnight between January and June 2007, and again in February 2008. Invoices to the value of 2.54 million have to date been paid to escort contractors who staffed the cells. This figure does not include marginal costs such as medical care or utilities
	Invoices are not month-specific and therefore we cannot reply on a month-by-month basis
	The following table shows the number of places used over this period.
	
		
			   Total 
			 January 2007 13 
			 March 2007 10 
			 April 2007 44 
			 May 2007 146 
			 June 2007 350 
			 February 2008 1,115 
			 Total 1,678

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff in his Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12 months.

Michael Wills: In the Ministry of Justice (excluding NOMS), the managing attendance policy aims to create an improved attendance culture. Managers are expected to demonstrate understanding towards absence where appropriate, and to take action when absence reaches unacceptable levels.
	There are three levels of sanction available in attendance cases; first written warning, final written warning, and dismissal. Central records are held by the number of sanctions issued rather than by the number of staff (ie a member of staff may have received a sanction at more than one level). The following table gives the number of sanctions issued, and of those the terminations, for each of the 12 months ending January 2009.
	
		
			   Disciplinary sanctions  Of which, employment terminated  Medical retirements 
			 February 2008 32 7  
			 March 2008 8 2  
			 April 2008 14 1  
			 May 2008 15 2  
			 June 2008 17 4  
			 July 2008 14 1 3 
			 August 2008 10 2 1 
			 September 2008 23 2  
			 October 2008 19 - j 3 
			 November 2008 20 3 1 
			 December 2008 19 4 2 
			 January 2009 37 4  
		
	
	In the National Offender Management Service poor attendance is managed through an unsatisfactory attendance procedure with a number of warning stages, contained within Prison Service Order 8404.
	Details of the number of staff who have had their employment terminated as result of a poor sickness record, or because of underlying medical issues, are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Medical inefficiency  Unsatisfactory attendance  Medical retirement 
			 February 2008 11 8 6 
			 March 2008 22 4 6 
			 April 2008 18 6 8 
			 May 2008 5 5 6 
			 June 2008 12 3 4 
			 July 2008 21 4 10 
			 August 2008 14 5 5 
			 September 2008 21 3 9 
			 October 2008 12 5 14 
			 November 2008 17 3 9 
			 December 2008 17 3 8 
			 January 2009 15 2 10

Departmental Pay

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many bonuses and at what cost were awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department, its predecessor and its agencies in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for 2008-09.

Jack Straw: End year non-consolidated performance payments are only paid to high performing members of the senior civil service to reflect their individual contribution during the previous performance year.
	 (a) During the financial year 2006-07, pay determination was undertaken by the departments that existed prior to the creation of the Ministry. For the former Department for Constitutional Affairs, 116 SCS members received a non-consolidated performance payment at a cost of 866,500.
	 (b) As pay determination is retrospective, 2007-08 was the first year in which the Ministry of Justice paid awards to SCS staff following the creation of the Ministry in 2007. In 2008, 159 SCS members received a non-consolidated performance payment in the Ministry of Justice at a total cost of 1,648,000.
	Following the formation of the Ministry of Justice in May 2007 the number of SCS members increased from 158 to 268.
	Pay for all members of the senior civil service in the Ministry of Justice is governed by a centrally determined pay system for which the Cabinet Office is responsible. The Ministry along with all other Departments, applies the pay system to the senior civil service members in accordance with the guidance provided each year by the Cabinet Office following the recommendation of the Senior Salaries Review Body.
	Future remuneration including levels of non-consolidated performance payments will depend on the recommendations of this independent review body. It is therefore not possible to estimate payments for 2008-09.

Departmental Pay

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in his Department and its predecessors earned over 100,000 in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; and how many he expects to do so in 2008-09.

Jack Straw: During the financial year 2006-07 the Department had 16 members of the senior civil service earning over 100,000. This figure relates to those staff within Department for Constitutional Affairs as the Ministry of Justice was formed in May 2007. During the financial year 2007-08, 35 members of the senior civil service were earning over 100,000. The numbers are higher as the size of the SCS grew with the transfer of staff from the Home Office on the creation of the Ministry of Justice. The number of staff earning over 100,000 as at 31 January 2009 is 36 (of approximately 80,000 staff).

Electoral Register

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to utilise the proposed data-sharing provisions in the Coroners and Justice Bill to facilitate data-sharing between public authorities in relation to collation of the electoral register.

Michael Wills: There are no plans. However, the Electoral Administration Act 2006 introduced a new, explicit requirement for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to take all steps that are necessary for the purpose of complying with their duty to maintain the electoral registers. These steps, as set out in the legislation, include sending the canvass form more than once, making house to house inquiries in connection with the canvass, making contact by such other means as the ERO thinks appropriate with a person who does not have an entry in the register, and inspecting any record that the ERO is permitted by law to inspect. These records are those held by the local authority and include council tax, land and property, housing benefit and educational where available. It is for each ERO to decide on the best steps to use in conjunction with their local knowledge to ensure that requirements for making contact with persons and maintaining the register are complied with.
	The Government remain concerned about the need to address levels of under-registration in Great Britain. To this end, we have recently tabled amendments to the Political Parties and Elections Bill, that will allow the Secretary of State to pilot data matching schemes, under which public authorities will provide registration officers with information to assist them in maintaining an accurate and comprehensive register. In addition, we plan to introduce secondary legislation to enable EROs in areas where there are two-tiers of local government to be able to access data held by the higher tier to help them identify individuals who are not registered to vote. This will mirror arrangements in place for EROs in single tier areas.

Electoral Register: Northern Ireland

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1900W, on electoral register, what assessment he has made of the reasons for 13 of the 20 councils with the lowest electoral registration rates being in Northern Ireland.

Michael Wills: The Government have not made any such assessment as the National Statistician notes in the answer given on 6 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1900W. Care should be taken when interpreting the figures provided in that answer, and the answer goes on to list some of the reasons for that.
	However, recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics reveal that as of 1 December 2008, the number of local government electors in Northern Ireland had increased by 16,578 (1.5 per cent.) to 1,142,513. This rise was greater than those recorded for the same period in England (0.3 per cent.), Scotland (0.1 per cent.) and Wales (0.5 per cent.).
	The Government have recently announced plans to put in place a statutory timetable for the introduction of individual registration in Great Britain; begin the rollout of measures to prepare both the public and the electoral system for that change; and put in place a series of tests, that will be independently assessed by the Electoral Commission, to ensure that the shift is only made once the system is ready for it. Northern Ireland already has a system of individual registration in place and we will want to learn from their experiences to ensure that registration rates are maximised. It is essential that the electoral register is both comprehensive and accurate.
	In addition, we have tabled amendments to the Political Parties and Elections Bill that will allow the Secretary of State to pilot data matching schemes under which public authorities will provide registration officers with information to assist them in maintaining an accurate and comprehensive register. We also plan to introduce secondary legislation to enable EROs in areas where there are two tiers of local government to be able to access data held by the higher tier to help them identify individuals who are not registered to vote. This will mirror arrangements in place for EROs in single tier areas.

Firearms: Convictions

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted for  (a) possessing and  (b) distributing prohibited (i) weapons and (ii) ammunition in each police force area in the last five years.

Jack Straw: Information on the number of persons found guilty at all courts for offences of possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition in England and Wales, by police force area from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) can be found in the table. The Criminal statistics data for 2008 are due to be published in November 2009.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the following table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  The number of persons found guilty at all courts for offences relating to possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition in England and Wales, by police force area, 2003-07( 1,2,3) 
			  Force  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 20 18 25 21 23 
			 Bedfordshire 9 7 6 4 6 
			 Cambridgeshire 12 4 3 8 9 
			 Cheshire 4 20 11 16 11 
			 City of London 2 5 0 1 1 
			 Cleveland 11 11 13 8 9 
			 Cumbria 4 8 8 3 13 
			 Derbyshire 6 15 17 13 21 
			 Devon and Cornwall 16 15 12 11 15 
			 Dorset 8 7 8 8 12 
			 Durham 12 11 14 6 15 
			 Essex 18 29 22 26 29 
			 Gloucestershire 9 6 6 5 4 
			 Greater Manchester 55 115 108 94 83 
			 Hampshire 16 15 28 24 24 
			 Hertfordshire 5 16 23 23 24 
			 Humberside 9 14 17 11 10 
			 Kent 22 18 11 28 20 
			 Lancashire 15 22 27 18 22 
			 Leicestershire 16 17 17 16 22 
			 Lincolnshire 5 6 6 6 4 
			 Merseyside 25 54 68 56 53 
			 Metropolitan Police 297 268 302 317 386 
			 Norfolk 2 12 9 9 10 
			 North Yorkshire 6 3 3 5 8 
			 Northamptonshire 4 4 7 2 4 
			 Northumbria 45 38 38 34 31 
			 Nottinghamshire 28 23 27 30 39 
			 South Yorkshire 21 23 27 35 25 
			 Staffordshire 8 15 13 9 26 
			 Suffolk 7 7 6 8 7 
			 Surrey 6 7 4 7 12 
			 Sussex 14 18 21 15 22 
			 Thames Valley 20 24 22 20 34 
			 Warwickshire 4 7 6 6 7 
			 West Mercia 5 11 6 11 10 
			 West Midlands 66 72 69 78 91 
			 West Yorkshire 33 52 51 47 30 
			 Wiltshire 4 6 10 7 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 5 4 4 1 2 
			 Gwent 4 6 4 7 7 
			 North Wales 3 7 5 8 12 
			 South Wales 18 21 24 15 23 
			 England and Wales 899 1,061 1,108 1,077 1,217 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes the following Statutes and corresponding offence descriptions: Firearms Act. 1968 Sec 5(1) (Group I) as amended by Criminal justice Act 2003 S.288Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition. Firearms Act 1968 Sec 5(1 )(b) (Group I) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 Sec.288Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious liquid etc. Firearms Act 1968 Sec 5(1A)(a) (Group I) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 Sec.288Possessing or distributing firearm disguised as other object Firearms Act 1968 Sec 5(1A) (b),(c),(d)(e),(f) or (g) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 Sec 288Possessing or distributing other prohibited weapons  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Evidence and Analysis Unit

Land Registry

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much the Land Registry has budgeted to spend on the Business Gateway service in the next five year period from 1 March 2009;
	(2)  how much the Land Registry spent on the Business Gateway service up to 1 March 2009.

Michael Wills: Land Registry has only budgeted for the development of the Business Gateway for 12 months from 1 April 2009. This budget includes 266,290 for internal staff and other support costs. In addition there is a sum to cover an external contract but Land Registry believes that providing the budgeted spend for this would prejudice its commercial interests.
	Land Registry spent 532,130 on the Business Gateway up to 11 March 2009. There are additional costs that have been incurred for work carried out but not yet invoiced by the contractor under commercial arrangements.

Legal Advice and Assistance: Travelling People

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 917W, on legal advice and assistance: Travelling people, in which planning inquiries the Legal Services Commission funded representation for Travellers through its exceptional funding scheme in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09; and what the case reference number was for each such inquiry.

Shahid Malik: The MoJ has authorised the LSC to grant funding, through the exceptional funding scheme, for Gypsies and Travellers to be represented at a planning inquiry involving each of the following authorities:
	 In the financial year 2007-08:
	Tunbridge Wells County Council
	Basildon District Council
	North Somerset Council (two cases)
	Tandridge District Council
	Dartford Borough Council
	South Staffordshire District Council
	Surrey Heath Borough Council
	London Borough of Bromley
	Bath and North East Somerset Council
	Wyre Forest District Council
	Lewes District Council
	South Somerset District Council
	(Authorities for three cases cannot be confirmed)
	 In the financial year 2008-09 (to date):
	Mid Devon District Council
	Rother District Council
	Chichester District Council
	Canterbury City Council
	Kent County Council
	Bedford Borough Council
	Lewes District Council
	Ashford Borough Council
	The case reference numbers for planning inquiries are not held centrally by the LSC or the MoJ.

Legal Aid Scheme

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many legal firms have  (a) stopped and  (b) started doing legal aid work in each of the last five years.

Shahid Malik: Table 1 shows the number of solicitor offices starting legal aid work as part of the Criminal Defence Service (CDS) for criminal matters and the Community Legal Service (CLS) for civil matters in each of the last five financial years.
	Table 2 shows the number of solicitor offices leaving the Criminal Defences Service in each of the past five financial years. For the Community Legal Service the table shows the combined total of solicitors offices leaving plus accounts expiring or terminated.
	The figures are given in terms of numbers of offices rather than firms. This is because prior to the introduction of the civil unified contract in April 2007 and criminal unified contract in July 2008, legal aid providers delivering services in more than one office would hold separate contracts for each of those offices. In addition, where providers have decided not to continue providing civil legal aid services, they may nevertheless still have an account or accounts with the Legal Services Commission while they continue to deal with their remaining clients.
	Over the period there has been a downward trend in the overall number of solicitor offices dealing with legal aid. This is because there has been a continuing process of offices that do only small amounts of legal aid work leaving the market or merging with other offices, so that the work is done in larger volumes at fewer offices. In addition, the Legal Services Commission has over time sought to terminate dormant accounts where no work was being done.
	The key issue in delivering access to clients is ensuring there are sufficient providers in the right places to deliver a good level of service. At 31 March 2008 there were a total of 3,627 civil provider offices and 2,230 crime provider offices. More importantly, the number of acts of assistance delivered to legal aid clients has increased over the last few years. Clients can also access civil legal advice from not-for-profit organisations, plus the Community Legal Advice telephone line and website.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of solicitor offices starting legal aid work as part of the CDS and CLS 
			   CDS  CLS 
			 2003-04 161 128 
			 2004-05 109 124 
			 2005-06 144 138 
			 2006-07 75 73 
			 2007-08 100 (1)32 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of solicitor offices leaving the CDS and CLS plus accounts expiring 
			   CDS  CLS 
			 2003-04 296 255 
			 2004-05 246 270 
			 2005-06 209 (2)1,131 
			 2006-07 171 471 
			 2007-08 127 208 
			 (1) Although the LSC ran a civil bid round in late 2007, it can take some time for providers to start work after a successful application for a new contract, so several new providers would not have appeared on the LSC's systems until the next financial year. (2) This is due to an exercise to clear dormant accounts.

Powers of Entry: Local Government

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Government has plans to extend local authority enforcement powers to include the use of bailiffs to undertake forced entry.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for North-West Norfolk (Mr. Bellingham) on 3 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1497W. The enforcement provisions in the Tribunals, Court and Enforcement Act 2007 are far-reaching reforms. The provisions have recently undergone a comprehensive reassessment by Ministers to ensure that they remain appropriate even under this difficult financial climate. This assessment has now been concluded and a statement will be made shortly.

Prisoners Release: Re-offenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners recalled from release on end-of-custody licence for re-offending have been convicted of offences committed while on licence in each prison service region since the end-of-custody licence scheme was introduced.

Jack Straw: Figures for the numbers of prisoners on End of Custody Licence (ECL) who have been recalled for alleged re-offending and are subsequently convicted by Prison Service area are not centrally collated in most cases. To provide the information requested would involve the manual examination of hundreds of individual records which could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	Data on End of Custody Licence releases, recalls and alleged re-offending is published every month on the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustodylicence.htm

Prisons: Drugs

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many visitors to prisons were found to be in possession of illegal drugs in each year since 1997; how many such visitors were referred to the police; and what steps were taken in respect of those not referred to the police.

David Hanson: The data are not available in the format requested.
	It is the National Offender Management Service's policy for all prison visitors found in possession of illicit drugs to be referred to the police.
	As a result, of which, the number of arrests made by police of prison visitors since 1999-2000 is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of arrests 
			 1999-2000 728 
			 2000-01 499 
			 2001-02 526 
			 2002-03 404 
			 2003-04 448 
			 2004-05 439 
			 2005-06 429 
			 2006-07 374 
			 2007-08 424 
		
	
	Data was not recorded prior to 1999-2000.
	The fall in arrests from 1999-2000 to 2002-03 is most likely linked to the introduction of measures to deal with visitors and prisoners who smuggle drugs through visits through Prison Service Order 3610 (March 1999). The order introduced a consistent and robust approach to visitors smuggling drugs across the prison estate. From 2002-03 the number of arrests has stabilised. The average number of arrests from 2002-03 to 2006-07 is 419, which is similar to the number recorded for 2007-08.
	The fall in visitor arrests broadly corresponds to the fall in drug misuse in prisons, as measured by random mandatory drug testing, which has declined by 63 per cent. since 1996-97. This demonstrates the success of the prisons drug strategy which has occurred in the context of an increased prison population and a corresponding increase in the number of visitors.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.

Prisons: Religion

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what provisions are made to allow prisoners who are druids to practise their beliefs in prison.

Jack Straw: Information on the practice of religion in prisons is set out in Prison Service Order 4550, a copy of which is in the House Library and which I shall send to the hon. Member. This contains information on the various traditions within Paganism, including Druidry.

Prisons: Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many under-21-year-olds are being held in each prison service establishment.

David Hanson: The following table shows the numbers of young adults and 15 to 17-year-olds held in each prison establishment in England and Wales at the end of January 2009.
	Young adults are those aged 18-20 and those 21-year-olds who were aged 20 or under at conviction who have not been reclassified as part of the adult population.
	Establishments operate a policy that young adult remands (18-21 year olds) do not cell share with adult remands. Remanded young adults are either placed into dedicated young offender institutes or into local 'adult' prisons. Where accommodation is within the main adult estate, young adults would not share with adults.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing, and have been rounded to the nearest ten. Consequently, rounded figures may not sum to totals. Only those establishments that have at least one young offender are shown.
	
		
			  Prison establishments  Total young persons 
			 Altcourse 190 
			 Ashfield 360 
			 Askham Grange 10 
			 Aylesbury 440 
			 Bedford 0 
			 Belmarsh 10 
			 Birmingham 10 
			 Brinsford 560 
			 Bristol 40 
			 Brixton 0 
			 Bronzefield 30 
			 Castington 360 
			 Chelmsford 240 
			 Cookham Wood 120 
			 Deerbolt 440 
			 Doncaster 290 
			 Dorchester 30 
			 Dover 30 
			 Downview 20 
			 Drake Hall 20 
			 Durham 0 
			 East Sutton Park 0 
			 Eastwood Park 80 
			 Elmley 70 
			 Exeter 60 
			 Feltham 600 
			 Forest Bank 130 
			 Foston Hall 20 
			 Glen Parva 740 
			 Gloucester 10 
			 Haslar 20 
			 High Down 120 
			 Hindley 420 
			 Hollesley Bay 40 
			 Holloway 90 
			 Holme House 0 
			 Hull 130 
			 Huntercombe 300 
			 Lancaster Farms 300 
			 Leeds 0 
			 Lewes 40 
			 Lincoln 20 
			 Low Newton 40 
			 Manchester 10 
			 Moorland Closed 340 
			 Moorland Open 60 
			 New Hall 70 
			 Northallerton 200 
			 Norwich 130 
			 Onley 240 
			 Parc 570 
			 Pentonville 0 
			 Peterborough 70 
			 Portland 610 
			 Reading 230 
			 Rochester 610 
			 Stoke Heath 550 
			 Styal 70 
			 Swansea 0 
			 Swinfen Hall 510 
			 Thorn Cross 160 
			 Wandsworth 0 
			 Warren Hill 200 
			 Werrington 160 
			 Wetherby 370 
			 Woodhill 100

Security Guards: Recruitment

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of the business case produced by the Security Industry Authority on the regulation of enforcement agents.

Bridget Prentice: The Security Industry Authority was asked by the Ministry of Justice to produce a business case to assist in the Department's consideration of the available options for regulation of enforcement agents. On the basis that a number of options remain under consideration, I am unable to publish the business case at this time. Once my Department's policy in this area is finalised, I will place a copy in the Library of both Houses.

Television: Licensing

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions for non-payment of the television licence fee there have been in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Data showing persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for TV licence evasion in England and Wales, from 2005-07 are shown in the following table. The Criminal Statistics data for 2008 are due to be published in November 2009.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for television licence evasion, England and Wales, 2005-07( 1, 2) 
			   2005( 3)  2006( 3)  2007( 4) 
			 Proceeded against 122,961 130,130 135,548 
			 Found guilty 104,962 15,548 120,908 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) As well as television licence evasion, these data include proceedings for summary offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 to 1967. (4) These figures relate to the offence of television licence evasion under the Communications Act 2003.

Wymott Prison: Manpower

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average prisoner to staff ratio at HM Prison Wymott was in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Information is only available since 31 March 2006 and is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Date  Ratio all staff to prisoners 
			 3l March 2006 1:2.00 
			 31 March 2007 1:2.05 
			 31 March 2008 1:1.89 
			 31 January 2009 1:2.00

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many organic farmers are registered in  (a) Hertfordshire and  (b) Dacorum.

Jane Kennedy: The number of organic producers registered with the Organic Certification bodies in the county of Hertfordshire, based on data collected at January 2008, is 11. In accordance with National Statistics confidentiality rules, data for Dacorum are not available due to the small number of growers in this area.
	Validated information for 2009 is not yet available.

Agriculture: Subsidies

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been allocated under Axis 1 of the Rural Development Programme England for 2007 to 2013 for  (a) vocational training and information actions for persons engaged in the agricultural, food or forestry sectors,  (b) use of advisory services by farmers and forest holders,  (c) setting up of farm management, farm relief and farm advisory services, as well as forestry advisory services,  (d) modernisation of agricultural holdings,  (e) improving the economic value of forests,  (f) adding value to agricultural and forestry products,  (g) co-operation for development of new products, processes and technologies in the agriculture and food sector and in the forestry sector,  (h) improving and developing infrastructure related to the development and adaptation of agriculture and forestry,  (i) restoring agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters and introducing appropriate prevention actions and  (j) supporting producers groups for information and promotion activities for products under food quality schemes.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Since the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) was formally approved in December 2007, the funding set out in the following table has been allocated to the respective measures (i.e. committed to projects or programmes of investment). This includes funding devolved to regional development agencies (RDAs) for social and economic support. A small sum allocated by Natural England to agreements under the Energy Crops Scheme is included under the modernisation measure.
	A further sum of 21,735,557 has been allocated by RDAs to local action groups to implement axis 1 objectives through the Leader approach, but this is not broken down by measure.
	
		
			  Measure  Allocation () 
			  (a) Vocational training and information actions 30,004,692 
			  (b) Use of advisory services by farmers and forest holders 735,200 
			  (c) Setting up of farm management, farm relief and farm advisory services, as well as forestry advisory services 965,953 
			  (d) Modernisation of agricultural holdings 15,040,120 
			  (e) Improving the economic value of forests 501,559 
			  (f) Adding value to agricultural and forestry products 22,303,690 
			  (g) Co-operation 904,001 
			  (h) Improving and developing infrastructure 3,046,082 
			  (i) Restoring agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters and introducing appropriate prevention actions (1)0 
			  (j) Supporting producers groups (1)0 
			 (1) This measure is not implemented in the RDPE.

Agriculture: Subsidies

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding has been allocated under Axis 3 of the Rural Development Programme England 2007 to 2013 for  (a) diversification into non-agricultural activities,  (b) support for the creation and development of micro enterprises with a view to promoting entrepreneurship and developing economic fabric,  (c) encouragement of tourism activities,  (d) basic services for the economy and rural population and  (e) conservation and upgrading of rural heritage.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Since the Rural Development Programme for England was formally approved in December 2007, the funding set out in the following table has been allocated to the respective measures (i.e. committed to projects or programmes of investment). This includes funding devolved to regional development agencies for social and economic support. The sums allocated by Natural England to access agreements, and historic and traditional buildings, under the Environmental Stewardship Scheme are included under the tourism and conservation measures, respectively.
	A further sum of 92,540,437 has been allocated by regional development agencies to local action groups to implement Axis 3 objectives through the Leader approach, but this is not broken down by measure.
	
		
			
			  (a) Diversification into non-agricultural activities 13,003,846 
			  (b) Support for the creation and development of micro enterprises 9,277,963 
			  (c) Encouragement of tourism activities 14,646,421 
			  (d) Basic services for the economy and rural population 2,071,866 
			  (e) Conservation and upgrading of rural heritage 1,268,432

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the amount paid in export refunds in respect of  (a) pig meat,  (b) eggs and  (c) poultry in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: The total amount of export refunds paid for pigmeat, eggs and poultry in the UK over the last five years can be found in the following table:
	
		
			   
			  Sector  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Pigmeat 160,639.06 141,624.13 99,605.43 82,875.47 197,494.28 
			 Eggs 121,797.04 148,953.35 93,582.82 95,832.13 155,581.47 
			 Poultry 43,647.21 44,860.57 33,024.66 13,579.42 13,141.77

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for Common Agricultural Policy export refunds were made in each project sector in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: The number of export refund applications for each livestock sector in the UK over the last 12 months can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  Sector  Refund  a pplications 
			 Eggs 161 
			 Poultry 233 
			 Pigmeat 675 
			 Beef and veal 0 
			 Milk and milk products 1,166

Agriculture: Waste Disposal

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm-based anaerobic digestion plants there are in England; and what estimate his Department has made for benchmarking purposes of the number of such plants operating in other EU member states.

Jane Kennedy: Figures for the number of farm-based anaerobic digestion plants in England are not collected centrally. To contribute to the development of policy on anaerobic digestion, DEFRA commissioned AEA Technology to undertake a study, Assessment of Methane Management and Recovery Options for Livestock Manures and Slurries. This was published in 2005 and quoted the following figures for anaerobic digestion plants in EU countries producing electricity:
	
		
			  Country  Agricultural AD plants 
			 Austria 159 
			  +150 to end 2007 
			 Belgium 6 
			 Denmark 58 on-farm 
			  (1)20 CAD 
			 France 3 
			 Germany 3000 
			 Great Britain 20 
			 Ireland 5 
			 Italy 80 
			 Netherlands 12 
			 (1 )Centralised anaerobic digestion.  Note: Our current best estimate is that the figure for Great Britain is still correct.

Bees: Disease Control

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has undertaken research on the link between imidacloprid and bee health.

Jane Kennedy: As part of its pesticides research programme the Government are funding a number of projects in support of the development of the pesticides risk assessment process. A number of these specifically relate to the potential impact of pesticides on honeybees, both from wide scale professional use and home-garden use of insecticides. These projects are still in progress. Previous work on the risk posed to honeybees by systemic insecticides, such as imidacloprid, has fed into the international risk assessment models for honeybees.
	The rigorous EU scientific process for approval of pesticide active substances and the supporting national processes for individual products protect human health and the environment, including wildlife, providing products are used in accordance with the approval and any related conditions of approval. This approval process takes account of the potential impact on bees. DEFRA will, of course, act immediately on any concrete evidence of adverse impacts of pesticides on bees which occurs in the UK.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Compensation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will re-evaluate the tabular system for compensation for bovine tuberculosis breakdowns to increase payments for organically-reared animals.

Jane Kennedy: In 2008, following a legal challenge against the table valuation compensation system, the High Court decided that while table valuations are acceptable for the majority of cattle, they discriminate against owners of high value cattle. DEFRA subsequently lodged an appeal against the decision, which is due to be heard on 16 and 17 March 2009. Decisions about possible modifications to cattle compensation arrangements, including any relating to organic animals, will need to take into account the final judgement in the ongoing legal challenge.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the composition of his Department's tuberculosis eradication group was determined; and what consideration he gave to inviting a badger ecologist to join the group.

Jane Kennedy: The composition of the TB Eradication Group was determined through discussions that were held between the Department, the farming industry and veterinary bodies. It was agreed that the group needed to cover the key interests, but to be small enough to allow meaningful discussion. It was therefore decided to restrict membership to Government, the farming industry and the veterinary profession, but for the group to be free to invite experts to contribute to its work as necessary, including representatives of other industry sectors, wider interest groups and specialists such as ecologists and epidemiologists.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department uses WPA2 encryption protocol on all its wireless networks.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
	Departments follow CESG guidance on the use of the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) communications security protocols in order to protect wireless networks carrying protectively marked (up to RESTRICTED/IL3) traffic. The configuration and operation standards for WPA2 are set out in CESG's Infosec Manual Y, Use of WPA2 Wireless Security in Government Systems.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what scanning for vulnerabilities his Department conducts of each of its IT devices; what method is used for IT device scans; and how many vulnerabilities have been detected as a result of such scans in the last 12 months.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
	It is not in the interest of the security of the Department, or that of the public, to disclose detailed information pertaining to electronic breaches of security of Department's IT systems. Disclosing such information would enable criminals and those who would attempt to cause disruptive threats to the Department to deduce how to conduct attacks and therefore potentially enhance their capability to carry out such attacks.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his Department in 2008-09 to date.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Costs incurred on reimbursable expenses in 2008-09, will be available only when the Department's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2009 summer recess.

Departmental Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which his Department has responsibility in the last five years who previously had careers in the banking industry.

Huw Irranca-Davies: This information is not held centrally.

Departmental Recycling

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much  (a) paper,  (b) plastic and  (c) other waste was produced by his Department in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such waste was recycled.

Jane Kennedy: The following amounts of waste were recycled in each of the last three years:
	
		
			   2007-08  2006-07  2005-06 
			   Tonnes  Percentage recycled of total waste produced  Tonnes  Percentage recycled of total waste produced  Tonnes  Percentage recycled of total waste produced 
			 Paper recycled 881 18 860 16 1,142 20 
			 Plastic recycled 35 0.7 16 ' 0.3 13 0.2 
			 Other waste recycled 495 10.6 517 10.2 508 8.9 
			 Other waste (not recycled or incinerated for energy recovery) 1,940 n/a 2,360 n/a 3,012 n/a 
			 Total waste arisings (total waste produced) 4,816 29.3 5,252 26.5 5,716 29.1 
		
	
	DEFRA is not able to provide figures for the different waste streams produced. It is not practical or cost effective to separate waste which is destined for landfill or incineration. Also, many of DEFRA's operations, such as laboratory processes, involve the use of hazardous materials which cannot be separated into different waste streams. For this reason, visibility of DEFRA's waste streams is limited to the quantities of the waste recycled.
	It should be noted that a large proportion of DEFRA's waste is incinerated with energy recovery1,465 tonnes in 2007-08 (30 per cent.), 1,499 tonnes in 2006-07 (28 per cent.) and 1,041 (18 per cent.) in 2005-06. Although waste used for energy recovery cannot be classed as recycled the energy produced from its incineration is used in buildings on the DEFRA Estate.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1049W, on domestic waste: waste disposal, what the terms of reference are of the research on waste prevention scheduled to report in spring 2009; and which external organisation is conducting the research.

Jane Kennedy: The review study referred to in the reply to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1049W, on domestic waste: waste disposal, (WR1204) Household Waste Prevention: A Synthesis Review aims to extract key information from published research into techniques for preventing waste in the home.
	The project is being conducted by Brook Lyndhurst in association with the Social Marketing Practice and the Resource Recovery Forum.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information the Waste and Resources Action Programme holds on the local authorities which levy charges for the provision of bin bags for the collection of household waste.

Jane Kennedy: WRAP does not hold this information.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local councils provide free collection of needles used in the management of diabetes from homes.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA does not hold the information requested.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme is taking to promote the participation by local authorities in the ACR+ European Campaign for Waste Reduction.

Jane Kennedy: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is a member of The Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling and sustainable Resource management (ACR+):
	www.acrplus.org/-kg
	but neither DEFRA nor WRAP is actively involved in promoting the participation of local authorities in the ACR+ European Campaign for Waste Reduction.

Energy Conservation

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the use of blinds and awnings as energy efficient products in domestic and commercial property; and whether officials of his Department have met representatives of the blind and awning industry.

Jane Kennedy: As far as it is possible to establish, neither DEFRA Ministers nor officials have met or received representations from any representatives of this industry.

Energy Conservation

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has undertaken on the effect on energy efficiency of the use of blinds and awnings in domestic and commercial buildings.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has undertaken no specific research on the effect on energy efficiency of the use of blinds and awnings in domestic and commercial buildings. Nonetheless, the benefits of blinds and awnings are understood and included in our National Calculation Methodologies, by which building related energy efficiency measures are assessed.

Fisheries: Scotland

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration his Department has given to the Scottish Fishermen's Federation's request for a joint legal opinion to be given by the Scottish and UK law officers on the Scottish Executive's proposals on fishing quotas and licences.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 9 March 2009
	My Department is aware of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation's request. However, Government Departments do not disclose whether Law Officers' advice has been sought, nor the substance of any advice given.

Fisheries: Scotland

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he and officials in his Department have had with Scottish Executive Ministers and officials on the Scottish Executive's fishing quota proposals; whether a joint position with the Scottish Executive has been agreed; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 9 March 2009
	I have regular contact with all of my counterparts in the devolved Administrations, including Richard Lochhead, with whom I discuss a wide variety of issues, of which, his fishing quota proposals are just one. I know that my officials work along the same principles.
	In trying to develop a joint position with the Scottish Executive, I continued my willingness to work with Richard Lochhead on quota management and licensing reform within the devolution settlement. This can and should be on a multilateral basis, and should serve the best interests of the UK fleet.
	I have given Richard Lochhead my full support for developing quota management and licensing arrangements for Scotland which reflect the devolution settlement. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find a joint position with the Scottish Executive.

Fly Tipping: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions have been brought for fly-tipping offences in West Chelmsford constituency in the last four years.

Jane Kennedy: The number of fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions taken are not recorded at parliamentary ward level.

Food Supply

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to increase levels of self-sufficiency in British food production.

Jane Kennedy: Promoting a strong domestic farming sector is central to DEFRA's work, which is why one of its departmental strategic objectives is creating
	a thriving farming and food sector with an improving net environmental impact.
	The UK is currently 74 per cent. self-sufficient in food that could be grown here, a higher proportion than in the 1950s. The UK domestic agricultural sector makes an important contribution to the richness and diversity of safe and nutritious food we enjoy, and it will need to continue to respond to changes in global markets for food.
	UK self sufficiency tells us very little about UK food security. We need to maintain a range of supply sources for our food to spread the risk that might entail from over-reliance on one or a few supply sources, and to lower the impacts of any unforeseen disruptions involving any particular trading partner or from within our domestic food sector.

Fruit: Schools

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to implement EU proposals for free fruit provision in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Agreement on the overarching principles of an EU scheme was reached by EU Agriculture Ministers at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in December 2008. Proposals for the detailed implementing rules are currently under discussion in Brussels. In England, there is already the school fruit and vegetable scheme which is the responsibility of the Department of Health.

Genetically Modified Organisms

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what determination the EU has made in respect of the Mon-810 strain of genetically-modified maize; and whether any member state has agreed that the strain should be planted.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Monsanto MON 810 genetically modified maize secured EU approval for commercial cultivation in 1998, and it has been grown in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. Of these member states, France implemented a national ban on MON 810 in 2008, that is still being maintained. Monsanto has applied to renew the EU authorisation for MON 810 and this is being assessed by the European Food Safety Authority.

Horses

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1082W, on horses, what estimate he has made of the number of horses which have entered the human food chain in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: The Meat Hygiene Services have only been recording figures on those horses bound for the food chain since 2005.
	The numbers of horses that have entered the food chain are as follows:
	2005-06: 3,782
	2006-07: 4,939
	2007-08: 3,664
	2008-09 (to date): 3,398.

Insulation: Hazardous Substances

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance the Environment Agency issues to landfill operators on the acceptance at landfill sites of construction waste containing  (a) plastic foam with ozone depleting substances and  (b) other hazardous waste.

Jane Kennedy: All wastes going to landfill must comply with the acceptance criteria for the site, which is defined by the site's Environmental Permit. There is no specific guidance relating to waste building foams, but guidance on the interpretation of acceptance criteria for landfill operators receiving all types of waste is to be found in the Environment Agency's publication Guidance for waste destined for disposal in landfills Version 2, June 2006.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 18 November 2008, regarding figures on carbon dioxide emissions in South Gloucestershire.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	I replied to the hon. Member on 11 March.

National Flood Forum

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to ensure the continuation of the National Flood Forum.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The National Flood Forum (NFF) has an important role in providing an independent national voice for those at risk of flooding and we are keen to see it continue. Since its creation the NFF has received significant core funding from the Environment Agency, using DEFRA grant in aid. This has gradually been scaled back since 2004 to allow the NFF to become more independent. However, DEFRA has continued to fund the NFF to undertake specific projects and to support its general stakeholder role. The Environment Agency has also continued to fund NFF on a project by project basis.

Paper and Plastics: Waste Disposal

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the research report produced by the Waste and Resources Action Programme on the effects of transporting recovered paper and plastic bottles to China.

Jane Kennedy: The requested information is available on WRAP'S website:
	http://www.wrap.org.uk/wrap_corporate/about_wrap/why_is_wraps_work_important/index.html

Recycling

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Waste and Resources Action Programme spent on promoting the sale of compost bins under the Recycle Now campaign, in each year of that campaign.

Jane Kennedy: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has sold almost 2 million home compost bins on behalf of local authorities since the programme started in 2004.
	WRAP has also provided advice and support to those householders who have adopted home composting as an effective means of reducing the amount of waste they send to landfill or other treatments. This promotional activity helps householders to make the best use of their home composting bin once bought, through the ongoing provision of practical tips and advice.
	WRAP's promotional expenditure under the Recycle Now home composting campaign has been as follows:
	
		
			million  Per bin () 
			 2004 1.6 10.73 
			 2005 2.5 7.31 
			 2006 1.8 3.13 
			 2007 1.6 3.02

Recycling

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the income received by local authorities in England per tonne of recycled waste in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009; and what estimate he has made of the cost per tonne to local authorities of collecting recycled waste.

Jane Kennedy: Neither DEFRA nor the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) holds the information requested.

Recycling

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume of waste for recycling  (a) was collected by local authorities in each region in 2008 and  (b) is expected to be collected in 2009.

Jane Kennedy: The following table shows the amount of waste sent for recycling between July 2007 and June 2008. These are the most recent data to be published.
	
		
			  July 2007 to June 2008 
			  Region  Thousand  tonnes 
			 East Midlands 987 
			 Eastern 1,241 
			 London 958 
			 North East 446 
			 North West 1,459 
			 South East 1,694 
			 South West 1,218 
			 West Midlands 995 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 884 
			  Notes:  1. Recycling data are published in terms of amounts sent for recycling, not amounts collected for recycling.  2. The amount sent is calculated by deducting from the collected figure the waste rejected for recycling and adding in recyclable waste that has been taken out of the residual stream and sent instead for recycling. 3. There are no estimations made for future recycling tonnages.  Source: WasteDataFlow

Veal

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the size of the veal industry in England.

Jane Kennedy: The domestic UK market for veal is less than 1 per cent. of total beef and veal production. Total beef and veal production in 2007 was 888,000 tonnes.

Veterinary Services: Rural Areas

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to increase the provision of veterinary services in rural areas.

Jane Kennedy: There are no plans to increase the provision of veterinary services in rural areas of England. This is essentially a matter of commercial supply and demand.
	Professor Philip Lowe has chaired a vets and veterinary services working group with representatives of the veterinary profession, farmers, academia and Government. The working group has been considering the changing public priorities in Great Britain, for farm animal health and welfare, food safety and public health and the ability of farm animal veterinarians to respond. Professor Lowe is due to publish a personal report on his findings in the near future and further information on his work is available on the DEFRA website.

Waste Disposal: Electronic Equipment

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the quantity of UK electronic waste exported to destinations beyond the EU which has been  (a) re-used,  (b) recycled and  (c) otherwise disposed of in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: 'Approved exporters' of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) report exports of WEEE to EU and non-EU countries. Separate data returns for exports to non-EU countries are not available. The Environment Agency's provisional estimate for 2008 is that 4,643 tonnes of WEEE from UK households was exported by approved exporters to EU and non-EU countries for reuse and recycling. It is illegal to export waste for disposal.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the oral evidence taken by the Communities and Local Government Committee on 17 December 2007, HC (2007-08) 195, Q24, which local authorities had expressed an interest in participating in the pilot financial incentive schemes.

Jane Kennedy: We have committed to release the names of any local authorities which come forward with formal expressions of interest in piloting a waste reduction scheme; none have yet done so. My hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, Deptford, referred in the oral evidence session of 17 December 2007 to authorities which had made initial inquiries only.

Waste Management: Conferences

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the presentation and handouts produced by his Department's Head of Waste Programme on the Implementation of Waste Strategy for England for the Waste Management Finance Forum on 22 January 2009.

Jane Kennedy: A copy of the presentation by the Head of Waste Programme given at the Waste Management Finance Forum in January 2009 will be placed in the Library of the House.

Wood: Licensing

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to reintroduce log licences; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Decisions on allowing the collection of firewood by licence or permit on the public forest estate in England managed by the Forestry Commission are for the Forestry Commission and are delegated to local forest management directors.
	When deciding whether to allow firewood collection, the Forestry Commission takes into account conflicts with other objectives including the importance of dead and decaying timber as part of the woodland ecosystem and the duty of care to all woodland users.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Art Works

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which works of art from the Government Art Collection each Minister in his Department has selected for display in a private office.

Jonathan R Shaw: I can confirm that the following works of Art from the Government Art collection are displayed in the Ministers offices.
	
		
			  Minister's Office  Title  Artist 
			 James Purnell Howling like dogs, I swallowed solid air Zarina Bhimji 
			 James Purnell 1930s to 1960s Sonia Boyce 
			 James Purnell Stranger Glenn Ligon 
			 James Purnell The Prize Hew Locke 
			 James Purnell After the Dance Chris Ofili 
			 James Purnell When and Where I Enter, the British Museum Carrie Mae Weems 
			
			 Tony McNulty Cup and Pan Blues William Scott 
			 Tony McNulty Fortune raises and casts down Roberts Medley 
			 Tony McNulty Misery and Remorse Robert Medley 
			 Tony McNulty The Break Up Robert Medley 
			
			 Rosie Winterton Untitled Dan Holdsworth 
			 Rosie Winterton Leydanjar Phillip Allen 
			 Rosie Winterton Untitled Dan Holdsworth

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which  (a) he,  (b) other Ministers in his Department and  (c) his Department's senior officials undertook in 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the financial year 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 102WS and for the first time, included details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	The information regarding senior officials could be provided only at disproportionate costs. All travel is undertaken in guidance with the Civil Service Management Code with the requirement to make efficient and cost effective travel arrangements.

Employment And Support Allowance

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costs relating to the introduction of the employment and support allowance were incurred by the Ministry of Justice with reference to the budget transfer of 1.45 million from the Department for Work and Pensions as announced in the written ministerial statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 116-9WS, on department expenditure limits.

Tony McNulty: The Department of Work and Pensions is not able to provide information on costs incurred by the Ministry of Justice.
	The Department of Work and Pensions transferred 1,455,000 to the Ministry of Justice as part of the Spring Supplementary Estimate 2008-09 (HC221). The funding was provided to support operating costs incurred by the Ministry of Justice resulting from the introduction of Employment Support Allowance (ESA).

National Insurance Fund

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the contribution of the Minister of State of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1567, when he plans to write to the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire on the National Insurance Fund; and if he will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 27 February 2009
	The letter was sent to the hon. Member, and arrangements made to place a copy in the Library, on 9 March 2009.

Pensioners: Personal Savings

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what research his Department has undertaken into the amount of interest pensioners  (a) are able to earn and  (b) are earning on their savings;
	(2)  what research his Department has undertaken on the effects of the economic downturn, on pensioners' income from savings.

Rosie Winterton: The Department's main source of information on the incomes received by pensioners is the Pensioners' Incomes Series, based on Family Resources Survey data. This includes analyses of income from savings and its contribution to total income. Latest information relates to 2006-07.
	The Government remain committed to supporting pensioners during these difficult times. The key changes the Government have recently made to support pensioners are as follows:
	The Government are providing support through increasing the basic state pension, against a backdrop of falling inflation, in line with the highest level of inflation last year. It will increase by 5 per cent. or 4.55 a week, to 95.25 per week from this April.
	In 2008-09, the Government provided extra help to pensioners through additional payments of 50 for households with someone aged 60-79 years and 100 for those with someone aged 80 or over made alongside the winter fuel payment.
	The Government also provided extra help to pensioners through a one-off boost of 60 to the Christmas bonus.
	Furthermore, the Government have increased cold weather payments from 8.50 to 25 for each week of cold weather in winter 2008-09.

Pensions

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have taken out a stakeholder pension.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available, is as follows.
	Figures published by the Association of British Insurers for the quarter ending December 2008 show the total number of stakeholder pension policies sold since their inception in 2001 as being 4.9 million. This figure includes people buying a new stakeholder pension, plus those transferring funds from another pension arrangement. The Association of British Insurers cannot provide a breakdown of this figure.

Sunbeds: Safety

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has held discussions with European Union counterparts on sun tanning equipment safety issues in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: There have been no such discussions.

Workstep

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the length of the 24-month supported-employment period for people with some types of disabilities within the Workstep programme;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received in favour of the extension of the Workstep programme beyond 24 months for people with certain categories of disability.

Jonathan R Shaw: Currently there is no 24-month supported employment period for any disabilities within the Workstep programme. The length of support for each individual is tailored to their particular needs. Therefore no consideration has been given to extending this period.

Workstep

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many representations he has received on the effectiveness of the Workstep programme.

Jonathan R Shaw: Between 2005 and 2006, we conducted two pieces of research. The first, in July 2005 considered user and provider views, and involved 57 customers of Workstep and 49 provider staff from 31 provider organisations. The second, in March 2006 was a case study of 17 Workstep provider organisations exploring the design, delivery and performance of the Workstep programme.
	In addition, from December 2007 to March 2008 we ran an extensive consultation exercise on proposals to introduce a new programme to replace Workstep and other programmes. This attracted over 450 responses. One of the questions covered in the consultation exercise related to replacing Workstep with a single new specialist disability employment programme. Several public reports have also been published over the last few years identifying the need for improvements to existing disability employment provision.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer Question 249132, on answers to parliamentary Questions, tabled on 14 January 2009.

Jonathan R Shaw: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 4 March 2009.  Official Report, column 1613W.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa: Food Aid

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has allocated to support for  (a) food aid programmes in developing countries in Africa in each of the last 10 years and  (b) the development of agriculture in such countries in each such year.

Ivan Lewis: Spending on  (a) food aid programmes and  (b) for agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa for the years 1998-99 to 2007-08 is set out in the two following tables:
	
		
			  (a) Food aid to sub-Saharan Africa 
			  000 
			  Country  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Burkina Faso 105  
			 Burundi  75 123  700 650 
			 Central African Republic 300  
			 Chad  1,000720 
			 Congo (DRC)   30 30 101 89 
			 Eritrea 2,000 1,110 440 159 393 406 
			 Ethiopia 2,953 865 8,178 2,703 22,543 10,954 2,285 1,004   
			 Kenya   2,000 2,250 6 55 3,303 8,727 5,563 2,243 
			 Liberia  800 200  250  
			 Malawi 6 577 8 471 625 129 
			 Mali550   
			 Mauritania 250  
			 Niger2,748 621 1,191 
			 Rwanda 215  
			 Somalia   27 142 500 153 443 6,565 97 4,902 
			 Sudan 49   1,646 2,500 6,407 8,545 13,493 1,174 53 
			 Tanzania 849 232 73 4 10  174  700  
			 Uganda 1,850 5,158 9,001 10,700 7,000  
			 Zambia 3,350 99 149   800 
			 Zimbabwe5,000 9,410 6,179 1,827 11,187 172  
			 Regional budgets 26,180 42 39 1  -265 
			 Total 4,072 1,097 10,278 11,746 71,239 32,607 26,567 55,634 18,050 10,918 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Support to development of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa 
			  000 
			  Country  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Regional budgets 497 812 1,797 3,068 3,215 2,731 3,801 1,373 2,570 5,681 
			 Angola 235  
			 Botswana 1,242 1,521 1,206 770 441 181 122  35  
			 Burkina Faso  44 66 24 26 33 20
			 Cameroon 13   1   
			 Cote d'lvoire 19 28 4 10   
			 Ethiopia 931 238 189 216 740 333 612 431 1 93 
			 Gambia 40 214 161 247 83 58  -18   
			 Ghana 426 378 356 461 843 357 1,399 150 643 2,915 
			 Kenya 1,808 2,641 1,908 1,227 1,300 1,201 1,078 1,046 1,422 441 
			 Lesotho 477 374 507 254 298 104 180 303 277 137 
			 Liberia 280  
			 Madagascar  10 33 22 18 16 
			 Malawi 5,198 4,692 10,950 7,456 1,536 2,130 2,521 252 2,025 2,110 
			 Mali 73  
			 Mozambique 1,279 1,956 5,521 6,922 2,332 770 126 54 193 200 
			 Namibia 381 275 343 234 548 613 470 596 289  
			 Nigeria 1,162 1,902 1,814 2,083 2,192 252 750 1,296 1,493 1,129 
			 Rwanda 73 34 59 32 59 81 396 282 1,995 989 
			 Sierra Leone 173 811 357 118 167 143   9 8 
			 Somalia 261 92 91
			 South Africa 3,098 3,291 2,414 2,206 1,850 1,622 705 598 400 247 
			 Swaziland 470 366 89 103 101 198 126  89 1 
			 Tanzania 1,059 1,279 2,224 2,558 501 209 49 4 80 164 
			 Uganda 665 1,573 7,628 6,312 1,438 1,342 1,192 183 1 1 
			 Zambia 237 100 5142 43 55 59 
			 Zimbabwe 862 1,706 1,202 1,047 313 75 3   25 
			 Total 20,939 24,543 39,094 35,361 18,039 12,522 13,810 6,635 11,875 14,217

Departmental Recruitment

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1578W, on departmental recruitment, how many of the general faststreamers recruited in each year since 2003 were undertaking first degree courses at university when they successfully applied to his Department.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) recruited 32 general faststreamers between 2003 and 2008. One of them, recruited in 2004, was undertaking a first degree course at university when they successfully applied to the Department. This total excludes faststreamers recruited through the in-service scheme and those recruited from other Government Departments, none of whom were at university when they joined the Department.

Departmental Surveys

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1743W, on departmental surveys, if he will place in the Library a copy of the raw data and reports relating to the results of each of the three staff surveys carried out between January 2007 and March 2009.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development's (DFID) 2007 Management Survey and 2008 Better Balance Audit results will be placed in the Library.
	The 2009 Pulse Survey results were received at the end of February and are currently being communicated internally through the line management chain. The report will be published on DFID's intranet by 31 March 2009 and placed in the Library at this time.
	To preserve anonymity of survey responses, we will not be making the raw data publicly available.

Developing Countries: Debts

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government's position is on the cancellation of debt arising from irresponsible lending to debtor countries; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The UK Government do not comment on other countries' lending practices.
	Loans made by the UK Government are made to internationally recognised governments; they are bound by legal contracts and are recognised in international law. The UK provides debt relief on the basis of a country's economic situation and track record on poverty reduction, rather than on any other basis. The Government have led efforts to agree international initiatives to provide comprehensive solutions to poor countries' debts, and we encourage all creditors to provide their share of debt relief.

Exchange Rates

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of his Department's offices in each country overseas has reported a decline in the purchasing power of their local budget as a result of recent exchange rate movements; and what the size of the reported decline was in each case.

Ivan Lewis: Exchange rate movements during 2008-09 have cost overseas offices some 2 million in administration costs. Full analysis of the implications of exchange rate changes for individual DFID offices is still being developed.

Exchange Rates

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to mitigate the effects of adverse exchange rate movements on its budget.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development makes most of its payment commitments in sterling, although contributions to European Union aid programmes are denominated in euros, and DFID country offices make some payments in local currency. During 2008-09, all foreign currency requirements were met through making separate 'spot' deals for individual payments using the best market rate available. Budgets have been reprioritised within the year to meet increased costs of foreign exchange requirements.

International Assistance: Costs

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost to his Department of its subscription to each international organisation was in 2007-08.

Ivan Lewis: Details on the Department's subscriptions to international organisations are available in our 2008 annual report which is available in the Library of the House and on the DFID website at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Overseas Aid: Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has provided for  (a) research and  (b) practical assistance relating to diabetes in developing countries in each of the last three years; and what such funding is planned for the next three years.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not provided any research support for work on diabetes in last three years. DFID's research strategy acknowledges the growing impact of non-communicable diseases, like diabetes, in developing countries. We are currently considering how we will fund non-communicable disease research in the future, but have not yet made any decisions.
	Although we recognise the increasing importance of non-communicable diseases, the core of our work is to help strengthen health systems to deal with all basic health needs, bearing in mind that communicable diseases and issues such as maternal mortality take a huge toll on the health of people in poor countries. We have therefore committed 6 billion for this over the period 2008-15 and a further 1 billion to the Global Fund to fight TB, AIDS and malaria to 2015.

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 737W, on Sri Lanka: internally displaced persons, when he expects the findings of the report of the humanitarian assessment mission to Sri Lanka to be placed in the Library.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID) humanitarian assessment mission in Sri Lanka is on-going due to the prolonged nature of the conflict and continued displacement of civilians in the North. One DFID humanitarian specialist will stay, based in Colombo, for another month at least.

St. Helena: Airports

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the most recent schedule for the construction of an airport on St. Helena is; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We announced on 8 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 46-47WS, that there will be a pause in negotiations over the St. Helena airport contract. We are reviewing whether it is right to proceed with this project in the present difficult economic climate. We will announce the outcome of our considerations as soon as we are able to.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which trade unions are recognised in his Department.

Ivan Lewis: DFID recognises two trade unions as representatives of our UK based staff, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and the Association of First Division Civil Servants (FDA).

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there have been for alcohol-related mental and behavioural disorders for  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) under 10 years, (ii) 10 to 13 years, (iii) 14 to 17 years and (iv) 18 years and over in (A) each region and (B) each constituency in each of the last five years.; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Tables which have been placed in the Library, give figures for the number of finished admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, by region of residence and primary care trust (PCT) of residence, for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08. 2007-08 is the latest year for which information is available. Information is not available by constituency and so figures for PCTs have been provided instead.
	The under-18 age bands in the PCT table have been combined to avoid having to suppress large number of figures to protect patient confidentiality. Some PCTs were reconfigured between 2005-06 and 2006-07. Where this was the case, the figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are not comparable with figures for earlier years.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there have been for alcohol-related fall injuries for  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) under 10, (ii) 10 to 13, (iii) 14 to 17 and (iv) 18 years and over in (A) each region and (B) each constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Tables, which have been placed in the Library, give figures for the number of alcohol-related finished admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of fall injuries, by region of residence and primary care trust (PCT) of residence, for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08. 2007-08 is the latest year for which information is available. Information is not available by constituency and so figures for PCTs have been provided instead.
	The under-18 age bands in the PCT table have been combined to avoid having to suppress large number of figures to protect patient confidentiality. Some PCTs were reconfigured between 2005-06 and 2006-07. Where this was the case, the figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are not comparable with figures for earlier years.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there have been for alcohol-related road traffic accidents for  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) under 10, (ii) 10 to 13, (iii) 14 to 17 and (iv) 18 years and over in (A) each region and (B) each constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Tables, which have been placed in the Library, give figures for the number of alcohol-related finished admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of road traffic accidents, by region of residence and primary care trust (PCT) of residence, for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08. 2007-08 is the latest year for which information is available. Information is not available by constituency and so figures for PCTs have been provided instead.
	The under-18 age bands in the PCT table have been combined to avoid having to suppress large number of figures to protect patient confidentiality. Some PCTs were reconfigured between 2005-06 and 2006-07. Where this was the case, the figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are not comparable with figures for earlier years.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there have been for ethanol poisoning for  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) under 10, (ii) 10 to 13, (iii) 14 to 17 and (iv) 18 years and over in each (A) region and (B) constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Tables, which have been placed in the Library, give figures for the number of finished admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of ethanol poisoning, by region of residence and primary care trust (PCT) of residence, for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08. 2007-08 is the latest year for which information is available. Information is not available by constituency and so figures for PCTs have been provided instead.
	The under-18 age bands in the PCT table have been combined to avoid having to suppress large number of figures to protect patient confidentiality. Some PCTs were reconfigured between 2005-06 and 2006-07. Where this was the case, the figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are not comparable with figures for earlier years.

Allergies

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require food manufacturers to label their foods more precisely in order to avoid serious allergic reactions; what legislation currently regulates this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Food allergens are already required to be clearly declared on the labels of pre-packed foods.
	Directive 2000/13/EC (as amended) established a list of 14 food ingredients which must be indicated on the label of foodstuffs as they are likely to cause adverse reactions in sensitive individuals. The allergens that have to be declared are those of greatest public health concern in the European Union, However, the legislation would allow for other foods to be added to the list should the need arise.

Cardiovascular System: Diseases

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans his Department has to include the diagnosis and management of peripheral arterial disease in the Quality and Outcomes Framework for general practitioners;
	(2)  what  (a) priority and  (b) focus his Department gives to peripheral arterial disease;
	(3)  what plans he has to improve the quality of care for patients with intermittent claudication;
	(4)  if his Department's vascular checks initiative will include diagnosis for peripheral arterial disease.

Ann Keen: The Department has engaged in discussions with Target PAD about ways to support adoption of best practice in identifying and treating patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) as part of a national overall strategy for vascular diseases.
	The Department is currently developing the programme of vascular assessment originally announced by the Prime Minister in January 2008, and outlined in 'Putting Prevention First', which is due to be rolled out from April 2009. The programme is aimed at assessing and modifying risk factors for vascular disease. These are common to the whole range of vascular diseases, including PAD. Intermittent claudication is commonly a symptom of PAD. A copy of 'Putting Prevention First' has already been placed in the Library.
	We would expect that the combination of vascular risk assessments and existing Quality and Outcome Framework (QOF) registers for vascular diseases should identify the majority of people with PAD or at significant risk of developing it. There are no specific QOF indicators for PAD.
	In addition, the Department is working with Target PAD to develop a national specification for primary care trusts (PCTs) to commission local enhanced services in relation to PAD or for its treatment.
	The Department has asked the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to oversee a new independent and transparent process for prioritising, developing and reviewing QOF clinical and health improvement indicators for England from 1 April 2009 as part of their role in providing guidance for the national health service based on evidence of clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. We launched a public consultation on the proposed new process on 30 October 2008. The consultation ended on 2 February. Subject to the outcome of that consultation, any proposal for changes to QOF indicators would need to be considered under that new process.

Cardiovascular System: Diseases

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many patients presented with intermittent claudication in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many patients have presented with peripheral arterial disease in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Dementia

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on what date his Department's reviews of the inappropriate use of anti-psychotic drugs for people with dementia will be published;
	(2)  how many dementia advisers the NHS employs; how many he intends to recruit in each of the next three years; and by what dates such advisers will be in place.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 640W.

Departmental Bank Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with which banks his Department has or has had contracts for the provision of financial advice, for the financial year 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: No contracts were held by the Department with banks for the provision of financial advice for financial year 2008-09.

Departmental Correspondence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters to his Department had not been replied to within 28 days of receipt at the latest date for which information is available.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department routinely measures its performance in replying to correspondence against a target of 20 working days. Of the 52,232 letters received by the Department between 1 January and 31 December 2008 and logged onto our central correspondence database, 2,074 were not replied to within 20 working days. The Department answered 96 per cent. of letters within 20 working days.
	
		
			   Number /percentage 
			 Number of letters 52,232 
			 Replied to within 20 working days 50,158 
			 Not replied to within 20 working days 2,074 
			 Percentage replied to within 20 working days 96

Diabetes

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what access NHS patients with diabetes-related foot ulcers have to dedicated multi-disciplinary team care in each strategic health authority area.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is important that people with diabetes have access to a multidisciplinary team that includes podiatry services. The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)'s guidelines on the prevention and management of foot problems in people with diabetes advise that foot examinations should be carried out by trained personnel as part of the annual review process.
	It is for local national health service organisations to commission a comprehensive service for people with diabetes that includes podiatry services.

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage change in diagnosis rates of Type 2 diabetes has been since 1997.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect data on the rates of diagnosis for type 2 diabetes. Information on the number of people with diabetes is available from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).
	Figures for the last 10 years are not available. However, the following table shows the number of people recorded on diabetes registers (including both type 1 and type 2 diabetes) from 2004-05 to 2007-08, from the QOF. It should be noted that patients will only contribute to the figures in QOF if they are registered with a general practice participating in the QOF. QOF data are collected annually and only include people with diabetes aged 17 or over. Figures are not available broken down into type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The latest prevalence data are from June 2008.
	
		
			   Number of patients with a recorded diagnosis of diabetes 
			 2004-05 1,766,391 
			 2005-06 1,890,663 
			 2006-07 1,961,976 
			 2007-08 2,088,335

Diabetes: Expenditure

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the NHS budget has been spent on diabetes-related illnesses in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Estimates of national health service expenditure on diabetes are available from the programme budgeting returns.
	The following table shows the estimated gross level expenditure for diabetes from 2004-05 to 2006-07 in England. These figures include primary care trust, Department of Health, strategic health authority and special health authority expenditure. It should be noted that these figures do not include prevention expenditure or General Medical Services/Primary Medical Services expenditure. Data for 2007-08 are not yet available.
	
		
			   Diabetes expenditure (000)  Department of Health gross expenditure (000)  Diabetes as a proportion of gross expenditure (percentage) 
			 2004-05 687,402 71,922,179 1.0 
			 2005-06 866,000 80,185,241 1.1 
			 2006-07 1,043,021 84,193,209 1.2

Diabetes: Pupils

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts provide training on diabetes to school staff.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Diabetes: Syringes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many health care centres in  (a) Leicester City Primary Care Trust and  (b) England accept needles which have been used in the management of diabetes;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the current level of provision for the disposal of needles used by diabetics; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect data about the number of health care centres that accept used diabetic needles and, therefore, has not made an assessment about the current provision for the disposal of diabetic needles.
	Diabetic CareSharps Disposal Information Note (August 2004) provides the following guidance to health care professionals and those involved in health care waste management and disposal with regard to the correct and safe disposal of used diabetic needles:
	Those prescribed the Sharpsbin should be advised that, because of the risk of needle-stick injuries, it should not be disposed of via the normal household refuse collection. Patients should correctly dispose of their Sharpsbin by returning it to their GP for appropriate disposal (if so licensed). Alternatively, local authorities will make separate collections of clinical waste on request and patients should contact their local authority.
	A copy of the information note has been placed in the Library.

Drugs: Young People

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many 18 to 21-year-olds were admitted to each  (a) hospital and  (b) university hospital following drug-related incidents in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested has been placed in the Library. It is important to note that the diagnosis codes used to record hospital admission episodes do not distinguish between recreational, illicit misuse or medical use of drugs.

Food: Labelling

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department  (a) has taken in the last 12 months and  (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to improve the labelling of food; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which organisations and individuals the Food Standards Agency  (a) consulted in each of the last six months and  (b) plans to consult in the next six months on food labelling; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Food labelling is the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency, which reports to Parliament through Health Ministers.
	The European Commission has published a proposal for new legislation which is currently under negotiation in Brussels. This will update and consolidate general and nutrition labelling and is expected to be adopted in 2013. The Agency consulted on the proposal in February 2008 soon after its publication in February 2008, and will be consulting further in the coming months on specific aspects as they are discussed by member states.
	The Agency actively and regularly engages with a wide range of stakeholders and on a range of food labelling issues as required in the development of United Kingdom policy. This includes the formal and informal consultation of over 1,100 individuals on the Agency's interested parties list, consumer groups, manufacturers, retailers, enforcement and other Government Departments.

Health Visitors

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors there were in each primary care trust in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Ann Keen: The number of health visitors in each primary care trust in the years in question is given in a table, which has been placed in the Library.

HIV Infection

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what programmes his Department is funding to ensure that people with HIV have the social support they need, with particular reference to access to peer support groups.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department funds the AIDS support grant to help local authorities to provide social support to people with HIV. This grant has been increased and totals 21.8 million in 2009-10. The Department also funds several voluntary organisations whose work includes peer support for people with HIV in England. These organisations include the Terrence Higgins Trust, the African HIV Policy Network, Positively Women and the National Children's Bureau.

Hospitals: Food

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which retailers have  (a) adopted and  (b) not adopted the Food Standards Agency's recommended traffic light colour-coded system of nutrition labelling; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: There are currently eight retailers that have adopted the Food Standards Agency's traffic light signposting system these are: Asda, Booths, Boots, Budgens/Londis, The Cooperative, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.
	The Food Standards Agency is aware of the following retailers which have opted to use a different front of pack labelling system: Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons, Netto, Nisa-Today, Somerfield, Spar and Tesco.

Human Papilloma Virus: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many girls aged 12 and 13 have been vaccinated against the human papilloma virus in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department collects data on the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme.
	Provisional data at the end of January 2009 for HPV vaccine uptake in the area covered by West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) which includes Hemel Hempstead show that:
	a total of 3,141 12 to 13-year-old girls have received the first dose; this represents 81.3 per cent. of the total number of girls in this age group in schools in West Hertfordshire PCT; and
	a total of 3,079 12 to 13-year-old girls have received the first and second doses; this represents 79.7 per cent. of the total number of girls in this age group in schools in West Hertfordshire PCT.
	Provisional data at the end of January 2009 for HPV vaccine uptake in the area covered by West Hertfordshire PCT and East and North Hertfordshire PCT show that:
	a total of 6,103 12 to 13-year-old girls have received the first dose, this represents 82.2 per cent. of the total number of girls in this age group in schools in Hertfordshire; and
	a total of 5,963 12 to 13-year-old girls have received the first and second doses, this represents 80.3 per cent. of the total number of girls in this age group in schools in Hertfordshire.
	The HPV vaccination is a three-dose schedule and the current cohorts of 12 to 13-year-old girls will be offered their third dose later this year.
	HPV vaccine uptake information is published on the website:
	www.immunisation.nhs.uk
	The provisional data for all PCTs in England at the end of January 2009 have been placed in the Library.

Injuries: Children

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 404W, on injuries: children, when the equivalent figures for the year 2007-08 will be available.

Ann Keen: The information requested was published in the Hospital Episode Statistics in-patient publication on 25 February 2009. The data for finished admission episodes for deliberate and unintended injuries (age 0-15 inclusive) for 2007-08 are in the following table:
	
		
			  2007-08 
			   Number 
			 Unintended 121,713 
			 Deliberate (intentional self-harm) 7,802 
			 Deliberate (assault) 2,977 
			 Other 572

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation: Standards

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will put in place measures to ensure that members of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation have no direct or indirect financial ties to pharmaceutical companies who provide vaccines.

Dawn Primarolo: Members of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are required to observe the 'Seven Principles of Public Life' set out by the Committee on Standards in Public Life and must comply with the JCVI code of practice. Members are required by the code to declare relevant interests, including personal and non-personal interests, in any particular matter to be considered by the JCVI. The register of members' interests is updated regularly. Individual declarations of interest made in 2009 will be published in May 2009 on the website at:
	www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/jcvi/
	A copy of the JCVI code of practice has been placed in the Library.

Mental Health Services: Sexual Offences

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of  (a) sexual assault and  (b) rape on mental health patients in mental health hospitals were recorded in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS: Negligence

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 938W, on NHS negligence, how much of the 713.4 million to be collected in 2009-10 will be collected by each NHS trust; and how much relates to each type of claim.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 661W.

Nutrition

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1034W, on nutrition, what data on malnutrition is routinely reported to  (a) Ministers and  (b) senior officials in his Department; if he will implement an annual audit of the quality of nutritional care; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on malnutrition is not routinely reported to Ministers or senior officials but is published annually. This information can be found on the Hospital Episodes Statistics website at:
	http://www.hesonline.nhs.uk/Ease/servlet/Content Server?siteID=1937categoryID=970
	which provides recently published 2007-08 data on malnutrition, and will be updated further in December with 2008-09 data.
	The website includes malnutrition codes and an information paper on malnutrition and how it is collected.
	There are no plans to undertake an audit of data collected in relation to malnutrition. Data on malnutrition collected through Hospital Episodes Statistics goes through a rigorous and comprehensive validation.

Nutrition: Children

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions are in place on the advertising on television of less healthy foods aimed at children; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The television regulator Ofcom has placed scheduling restrictions on the broadcast advertising of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) during children's programmes and programmes of particular appeal to children up to the age of 16. Since January 2009 these restrictions apply to all channels.
	In addition, food and drink manufacturers cannot use promotional offers, celebrities, licensed characters popular with children, or health or nutrition claims in HFSS food and drink adverts targeted directly at primary school children.

Nutrition: Screening

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2009,  Official Report, column 878W, on nutrition: screening, if he will discuss with health care professionals the inclusion of nutritional screening as a directed enhanced service in the community pharmacy contract.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has no intention of undertaking such discussions. Nutritional screening is not a directed enhanced service in the community pharmacy contract.
	The provision of healthy lifestyle advice, including advice on diet and nutrition is already an essential service to be provided by all community pharmacies. Nutritional screening was not a service identified in the pharmacy White Paper as a potential directed enhanced service. It is for primary care trusts to commission services according to local needs. The Department will keep the community pharmacy contractual framework under review.

Orthopaedics

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on measures to reduce the number of amputations resulting from diabetes and arterial disease.

Ann Keen: Reducing the number of amputations resulting from diabetes and arterial disease relies on good management of and services for patients with these conditions. The Diabetes and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) national service frameworks set out overall strategies and these have been supplemented by relevant National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance. A national programme of vascular health checks is currently under development. This will address risk factors for CHD, stroke, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Although arterial disease is not identified in the proposed vascular checks programme, the risk factors for arterial disease are the same as for other vascular diseases.

Orthopaedics: Rehabilitation

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) rehabilitation and  (b) aftercare of patients who have had an amputation as a result of diabetes cost in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. Responsibility for the provision and delivery of rehabilitation and aftercare services for people with diabetes rests with the national health service, and it is for primary care trusts to commission services that the meet the needs of their local population.

Southampton Independent Sector Treatment Centre

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the contracted workload of the Southampton Independent Sector Treatment Centre has been in each month since it was established.

Ben Bradshaw: The total contracted workload for each month at the Southampton Independent Sector Treatment Centre is shown in the following table. This includes all types of treatment undertaken at the centre.
	
		
			  Total contracted workload for Southampton Independent Sector Treatment Centre 
			   Number 
			  2008  
			 November 1,640 
			 December 2,295 
			  2009  
			 January 2,951 
			 February 3,279 
			  Source:  Monthly ISTC activity returns.

Steroid Drugs

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 888-90W, on steroid drugs, what the figures for  (a) glucocorticoids and synthetic analogues,  (b) other estrogens and progestogens,  (c) androgens and anabolic congeners and  (d) mineralcorticoids and their antagonists are.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Transplant Surgery: Foreigners

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 254-60W, from which countries each of the people came for whom no follow-up information is available.

Ann Keen: The following table shows organ and ocular tissue transplants carried out in the United Kingdom, where the recipient is recorded as being resident outside the UK (excluding the Republic of Ireland), by country of recipient residence, where no three-month follow-up information is available, April 1998 - March 2008. All figures refer to organs and tissue from deceased donors except where otherwise stated.
	
		
			  Country of residence  Kidney  Liver  Cornea  Sclera  Total 
			 Netherlands   1  1 
			 France   2  2 
			 Sweden   1  1 
			 Malta  2 4  6 
			 Portugal   2  2 
			 Spain   1  1 
			 Greece (1)l 1 10 1 13 
			 Turkey   1  1 
			 Switzerland   1  1 
			 Italy  3 3 3 9 
			 Bulgaria (1)11 
			 Cyprus  4 2  6 
			 Gibraltar   2  2 
			 Croatia  4   4 
			 Bosnia-Herzegovina (1)11 
			 St Helena   1  1 
			 Bermuda (1)11 
			 St Vincent and the Grenadines (1)11 
			 Bahrain (1)1  1  2 
			 Saudi Arabia  3  2 5 
			 United Arab Emirates  7 2 2 11 
			 Kuwait (1)1 (2)5 3  9 
			 Oman (1)11 
			 Qatar (1)1   1 2 
			 Egypt  33 2  35 
			 Libya (1)1  1  2 
			 Sudan   1  1 
			 Nigeria (1)1  2  3 
			 Uganda   1  1 
			 Cameroon   1  1 
			 Ghana (1)11 
			 Kenya (1)1  2  3 
			 Zambia  1   1 
			 Zimbabwe   2  2 
			 South Africa  4   4 
			 Mauritius   1  1 
			 Iran (1)11 
			 Pakistan (1)1 1 1  3 
			 India (1)1 3 1  5 
			 Bangladesh   1  1 
			 Brazil  2   2 
			 Unspecified non-EU  1   1 
			 Total 16 74 53 9 152 
			 (1) From living donors (2) One from a living donor

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House how many staff in her Office  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12 months.

Chris Bryant: None.

Legislation

John Baron: To ask the Leader of the House with reference to the answer of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 731W, on legislation, how many pages of  (a) primary and  (b) delegated legislation were passed by the House in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Chris Bryant: The number of printed A4 pages for all Public Acts, taken from the PDF versions on the OPSI website, were as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2007 3,022 
			 2008 3,190 
		
	
	Figures for earlier years given in my previous answer were based on the bound volumes of legislation published by The Stationery Office. These volumes have not yet been published for the years in question and there may be a difference between the figures given and the bound volume figures.
	Because of the volume of delegated legislation and because the bound volumes have not yet been published by TSO, page numbers could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Broadband

Robert Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of progress towards meeting his Department's target for broadband to be installed in every home by 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Currently, over 99 per cent. of UK households are connected to a broadband enabled exchange and satellite broadband is geographically available to 100 per cent. of the UK.
	The Interim Digital Britain Report, which was published in January, outlined the Government's intention for a broadband universal service commitment by 2012, and we are currently looking at how this might work in practice in more detail. The final findings will be available in the Full Digital Britain Report in late spring/early summer.

Broadband

Harry Cohen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the minimum cost for access to broadband communication under the Digital Britain plan will be.

Ian Pearson: Under Digital Britain, we will be looking at the service levels appropriate to provide internet services that offer benefits for citizens, consumers and the environment. We aim to facilitate a competitive market by setting a policy framework that balances commercial and consumer's interests.

Defence Equipment: Procurement

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has taken to ensure that small to medium-sized enterprises have information on and access to European procurement programmes for security and defence equipment technologies; and through what media his Department advertises such programmes.

Quentin Davies: I have been asked to reply.
	We fully recognise the important part that small and medium-sized enterprises play in delivering capability to our front-line forces and the MOD's policy aims to promote a fair and healthy supply network which is robust, consistently delivers to time, cost and quality, is responsive to rapidly changing requirements and is customer focused.
	When advertising contract opportunities on European procurement programmes, the MOD uses media such as the Defence Contracts Bulletin, Official Journal of the European Union, the European Defence Agency (EDA) Electronic Bulletin Board and the Supply2.gov.uk website.

Manufacturing Industries: Motor Vehicles

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received following the West Midlands auto industry summit.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 3 March 2009
	BERR received an open letter dated 20 February from  The Birmingham Post, the  Birmingham Mail and the  Coventry Telegraph enclosing the communiqu developed at the West Midlands auto industry summit. The hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Mr. Shepherd) tabled a parliamentary question on 24 February asking when a reply could be expected and the Minister for the West Midlands also emailed BERR to ask the same question. A reply was sent to  The Birmingham Post on 2 March. Copies of both letters have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Motor Industry: Government Assistance

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent steps his Department has taken to support the UK car industry.

Ian Pearson: The Automotive Assistance Programme is now open for business. A seminar was held on 11 March to inform companies, banks and industry representatives about applying for help. Following demand from the automotive sector for support under the Train to Gain scheme, the budget of 65 million has been increased substantially up to 100 million. Automotive firms are also eligible for support from other Government programmes and details are available at:
	http://www.realhelpnow.gov.uk/

Motor Industry: Government Assistance

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward proposals to enable car finance companies to access the Bank of England's credit guarantee scheme.

Ian Pearson: My noble Friend, the Minister for Trade and Investment, is urgently exploring with the motor finance industry possible options to help improve the flow of liquidity to car finance companies. As part of this, he is considering industry proposals to access the Credit Guarantee Scheme (administered by the Debt Management Office) and other schemes administered by the Bank of England.

Motor Industry: Government Assistance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to assist automobile companies owned or part-owned by foreign investors with manufacturing plants in the UK.

Ian Pearson: All automotive companies and suppliers with a turnover of at least 25 million recorded in their last published annual report and accounts and with a proposed investment of at least 5 million, who manufacture or propose to do so in the UK, and who meet the criteria can apply to the Automotive Assistance Programme announced on 27 January 2009. A range of other support is also available to companies based in the UK and details are available at:
	www.businesslink.gov.uk/realhelp

Motor Vehicles: North East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he is taking to support the motor manufacturing industry in the North East.

Ian Pearson: We are closely engaged with the automotive and other sectors in the UK, including companies in the North East. The Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP) which will support up to 2.3 billion of investment is open for applications. In addition to the AAP, we are helping the automotive sector secure support from the European Investment Bank, as well as providing support for low carbon R and D and up to 100 million for training. Wider help for business across the board is also applicable and further details are available at:
	http://www.realhelpnow.gov.uk

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Abuse

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will investigate allegations that child abuse has taken place in the production of the Channel 4 programme Boys and Girls Alone; what representations  (a) he and  (b) other Ministers in his Department have made to Channel 4 on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Department is fully aware of the programme 'Boys and Girls Alone' and the concerns that have been raised. Baroness Morgan has written to Channel 4 about the programme. She requested an explanation of how the production company assessed the safeguarding risks and the welfare issues concerning the children involved. This explanation has been received. We are currently considering what action might need to be taken in respect of the law relating to child performances.

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many representations his Department has received from social workers on child protection issues in Doncaster since its was established;
	(2)  how many representations concerning child protection in Doncaster his Department has referred to  (a) the Commission for Social Care Inspection and  (b) Ofsted since it was established.

Beverley Hughes: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has no record of having received correspondence from any individual identifying themselves as a social worker, on child protection issues in Doncaster, nor of having referred any representations on child protection in that area to CSCI or Ofsted.

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1116W, on children: protection, which staff of his Department are permitted to read anonymised full serious case reviews.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 5 March 2009
	Copies of serious case reviews are seen by relevant members of the Department's Safeguarding Group when sent by Local Safeguarding Children Boards for the purpose of informing the biennial overview reports which analyse the key findings from SCRs as a whole and identify the implications for policy and practice. Members of the Government offices may also see relevant individual anonymised SCRs to inform their support and challenge role in relation to LSCBs and local authorities.

Children: Protection

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what finance and support his Department provided for the production of series  (a) one,  (b) two and three of the Kids Taskforce Watch over me DVD.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Education and Skills contributed 75,000 towards the cost of producing the first series of Watch Over Me in 2003. The Department did not provide funding or support for the development of series two and three.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what auditing his Department undertakes to ensure that IT security policies are being followed; and on how many occasions  (a) IT security policies have been breached by employees and  (b) a member of staff has been sanctioned for a breach of such policies in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handles and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
	The Department has a programme of regular and ad-hoc auditing in place to ensure policies are being followed, including audits of staff awareness/compliance and security sweeps of DCSF buildings.
	For the period 1 March 2008 to 28 February 2009, the Department for Children, Schools and Families had two serious breaches of IT security policies, which resulted in one member of staff being dismissed and one member of staff having a laptop confiscated.
	During the same period, the Department also had a number of less serious breaches, such as mobile IT equipment being stored in unlocked storage, which were dealt with in accordance with the Department's security breach policy.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's IT security hierarchy.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
	It is not in the interest of the security of the Department, or that of the public, to disclose detailed information pertaining to the security of the Department's IT systems. Disclosing such information would enable criminals and those who would attempt to cause disruptive threats to the Department to deduce how to conduct attacks and therefore potentially enhance their capability to carry out such attacks.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what scanning for vulnerabilities his Department conducts of each of its IT devices; what method is used for IT device scans; and how many vulnerabilities have been detected as a result of such scans in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which departments must adhere to.
	It is not in the interest of the security of the Department, or that of the public, to disclose detailed information pertaining to electronic breaches of security of departments' IT systems. Disclosing such information would enable criminals and those who would attempt to cause disruptive threats to the department to deduce how to conduct attacks and therefore potentially enhance their capability to carry out such attacks.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what IT security policy his Department has; what procedures are in place to ensure the policy is being followed; what his Department's policy is on encryption of data when it leaves departmental premises; and what sanctions are in place for failure to comply with this policy.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handles and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families is compliant with the security policies contained in the Government Security Policy Framework including those for information security and assurance. Compliance arrangements comprise a system of self assessment, accreditation, assurance reporting, audit and review. Depending upon the circumstances, a range of sanctions are available including disciplinary or administrative action, and in extreme or persistent cases, termination of employment/services and, if appropriate, criminal proceedings.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not have a separate budget allocation for entertainment but forms part of the over all general administration budget.

Departmental Pay

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of his Department's staff received bonus payments in each year since his Department was established; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department was formed on 28 June 2007. Non-consolidated performance payments have been paid in the financial year 2008-09 to 1,403 staff.
	These payments were met within existing pay controls. Payments are used to drive high performance and those for the senior civil service are based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.

Departmental Public Consultation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services his Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I can confirm that the Department for Children, Schools and Families have no record of any payments made to Deborah Mattinson or Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007.

Departmental Rail Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost was of travel by train by staff in his Department in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) was created as a result of the Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. Prior to June 2007, it was Department for Education and Skills (DFES) and previously it was Department for Education and Employment (DFEE). The cost of train travel since 1997 for the department's staff was:
	
		
			
			 2007-08 5,087,473 
			 2006-07 8,554,652 
			 2005-06 8,002,118 
			 2004-05 7,595,075 
			 2003-04 7,443,199 
			 2002-03 6,755,749 
		
	
	Figures have been obtained from the department's travel booking framework with Carlson Wagonlit Travel. The spend figure for 2007-8 includes train travel for former DFES staff who now work for Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
	The figures from 2002-03 to 2006-07 includes train spend for the Department and non departmental public bodies who use the contract. Figures could not be separated for this period and to separate this data would involve disproportionate cost.
	Prior to 2002 figures are not available and could not be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	The Civil Service Management Code sets outs regulations and instructions to departments and agencies regarding the terms and conditions of service of civil servants and the delegations which have been made by the Minister for the Civil Service under the Civil Service (Management of Functions) Act 1992 together with the conditions attached to those delegations.
	The Code can be accessed at:
	http://beta.civilservice.gov.uk/about/work/codes/csmc/index.aspx

Departmental Rail Travel

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department issues on whether staff may claim for first class rail travel if there are no seats available in standard class.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Departmental guidance on rail travel requires all staff to book tickets through a contracted travel agent. This is in order to ensure that the best value for money is achieved through taking full advantage of advance bookings and discounts for fixed time departures. Staff, who usually travel in standard class would be permitted to upgrade to first class, if no standard seats were available, at their manager's discretion. It would be for individual line managers to assess the relative cost of staff travelling first class against the importance and nature of the journey in relation to the Department's business.
	All travel undertaken by DCSF staff is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code and Treasury guidance set out in Managing Public Money.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which  (a) he,  (b) other Ministers in his Department and  (c) his Department's senior officials undertook in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the financial year 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 102WS and for the first time, included details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	Information on overseas visits for senior officials can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

Free School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether people aged between 16 and 18 years in full-time education studying  (a) school sixth forms,  (b) sixth form colleges,  (c) further education colleges and  (d) academies, whose parents fulfil the qualifying criteria, are entitled to free lunches; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Pupils aged between 16 and 18 years in full-time education, studying at school sixth forms or academies, are entitled to free school meals if their parents meet the free school meals eligibility criteria. Pupils attending sixth form colleges or further education colleges are not entitled.
	Free school meals are provided under s512ZB of the Education Act 1996 (as amended by s201 of the Education Act 2002). The Education Act 1996 defines school as an education institution outside further education and higher education and which provides primary and/or secondary education. It also provides that secondary education applies to senior pupils (i.e. aged 12-18), and also to those who are 19 or over, as long as they began their course of study before attaining the age of 18.

Haringey Borough Council: Standards

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of the inspection report carried out by Ofsted of Haringey Council with reference  (a) SC042906 and  (b) SC072906.

Beverley Hughes: The Ofsted report on Haringey's Fostering Service (SC042906) is available on Ofsted's website at:
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxcare_providers/la_download/(id)/5064/(as)/SC/SC_SC042906_20032008.pdf
	and the Ofsted report on Haringey's Private Fostering Arrangements Service (SC072906) is available at:
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxcare_providers/la_download/(id)/6224/(as)/SC/SC_SC072906_08032008.pdf
	Both documents have been placed in the Library.

Parenting Orders: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many parenting orders have been  (a) sought by and  (b) granted to schools in Hemel Hempstead constituency in each year since their inception.

Jim Knight: The Department has collected and published data since 1 September 2004 on the use by local authorities of education-related parenting orders for school attendance and behaviour. Since September 2007 schools have been allowed to apply for a parenting order for behaviour and our data show that no school has applied for nor been granted a parenting order. In relation to school attendance orders only local authorities can be granted an order by the courts following a successful prosecution of the parent for their child's non attendance. To date our data show that no court has granted Hertfordshire local authority (which covers Hemel Hempstead area) an attendance order.

Schools: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has issued to schools on the use of supplementary information forms as part of their admissions processes; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools use supplementary information forms as part of their admissions procedures; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The School Admissions Code sets out the mandatory requirements and guidelines for schools when using supplementary information forms as part of their admissions process.
	As these arrangements are determined locally, we do not hold data centrally on the number of schools who do so.

Schools: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools the Schools Adjudicator has criticised for their use of supplementary information forms in their admissions process; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In his 2008 report to the Secretary of State, the chief schools adjudicator, reported seven objections in 2007/08 to the use of supplementary information forms, of which six were upheld; and 13 objections in 2006/07, of which 11 were upheld.
	As admission arrangements are determined locally, we do not hold data centrally on the number of schools who use supplementary information forms.

Social Services: Yorkshire and the Humber

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many serious case reviews have been completed in Yorkshire and the Humber in each year since 2000; how many such reviews initiated since 2000 are still ongoing; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 26 January 2009
	Data currently held by the Department for Children, Schools and Families indicate that, from notifications of serious child care incidents received between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008, 17 serious case reviews had been initiated in the Yorkshire and the Humber region where a child died and abuse or neglect was known or suspected to be a factor. A further seven were initiated in other circumstances, including where a child sustained a potentially life-threatening injury or serious and permanent impairment of health and development through abuse or neglect. Data prior to 1 April 2007 are not available in this form. Information on the numbers of serious case reviews following the death of a child in each local authority area between 2000 and 2005 has been given in a previous parliamentary answer on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 839W. We understand that some 18 serious case reviews are currently ongoing in the region. The figure does not include SCRs which have now been completed and evaluated by Ofsted or are awaiting evaluation.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which trade unions are recognised in his Department.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department recognises three trade unions:
	Public and Commercial Services Union;
	Prospect; and
	FDA.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Data Protection

Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) memory sticks,  (b) laptop computers,  (c) desktop computers,  (d) hard drives and  (e) mobile telephones were (i) lost by and (ii) stolen from the Prime Minister's Office in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
	Figures in respect of lost and stolen officially provided equipment for the Cabinet Office are given as follows. Figures prior to 2004 are not available.
	
		
			  2004-08 
			  Item  Number 
			 Memory sticks 3 
			 Laptop computers 13 
			 Desk top computers 0 
			 Hard drives 8 
			 Mobile phones 20 
		
	
	No classified material was held on any of those devices.
	The Cabinet Office has put in place a number of measures to improve its protection of personal information; including the encryption of mobile devices and the training of staff in relation to data security is well under way. The Cabinet Office is continuing to take all necessary actions to ensure that it meets the mandatory rules and deadlines for Departments as set out in the Cabinet Secretary's Data Handling Report published on 25 June 2008.

Departmental Manpower

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff were employed by the Prime Minister's Office in each year since 1997.

Tom Watson: Details of the number of staff employed by the Prime Minister's Office each year are published annually. For information for 2008 I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 1 May 2008,  Official Report, column 624W. For information for 2007 I refer the hon. Member to the answer he gave the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 819W. For information for previous years I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the then Prime Minister (right hon. Tony Blair) to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 26 October 2006,  Official Report, column 2036W, and to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (David Simpson) on 2 February 2006,  Official Report, column 633W.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which  (a) he,  (b) other Ministers in the Cabinet Office and (c) senior Cabinet Office officials undertook in 2008.

Kevin Brennan: Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the financial year 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 102WS and for the first time included details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the 'Ministerial Code'.
	Information relating for 2008-09 will published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.
	Details on the amount spent on overseas visits by Cabinet Office senior officials in 2008 is not held centrally and is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.
	All travel by Cabinet Office Ministers and Cabinet Office senior officials is in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the requirement to make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.

Job Vacancies

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) part-time and  (b) full-time vacancies there were for (i) temporary and (ii) permanent jobs in the UK in each (A) year since 1997 and (b) month of the last two years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) part-time and (b) full-time vacancies there were for (i) temporary and (ii) permanent jobs in the UK in (A) each year since 1997 and (B) each month of the last two years. (262330)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles estimates of job vacancies for the UK from the Vacancy Survey. However, no figures are available from this source regarding whether these vacancies are full-time, part-time, permanent or temporary.

Office for National Statistics: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the Office for National Statistics is in 2008-09.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the estimated cost in empty business rates for vacant properties owned by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is in 2008-09. (258541)
	The cost of empty property business rates for ONS in 2008-09 is 620,165

TREASURY

Crown Estate Commissioners

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much the Crown Estate has budgeted for expenditure on empty property business rates in 2008-09;
	(2)  how many home information packs have been purchased by the Crown Estate to date; what the cost of such purchases has been; in respect of which properties the packs have been purchased; and how many voluntary home condition reports have been purchased to date.

Angela Eagle: The Crown Estate budgets comprehensively for void costs relating to empty properties. This includes costs such as council tax or business rates, utility bills, insurance, along with other general maintenance costs. Void costs are budgeted on a property by property basis and empty property business rates are not specifically itemised.
	The Crown Estate has purchased 42 home information packs to date. The total cost of these purchases is around 15,000.
	The purchases relate to properties on the Crown Estate's land in:
	Central London; Aldingham, Bingham, Boroughbridge, Derwent, Dunster, Ewerby, Fochabers, Glenlivet, Gopsall, Holmewood, Louth, Oxshott, Patshull, Tabley, Taunton, Whaplode, Wingland.
	To date no voluntary home condition reports have been purchased.

Departmental Consultants

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 332W, on departmental consultants, which appointed expert advisers, other than special advisers and civil servants, provide advice to Ministers in his Department.

Ian Pearson: The work of all Treasury's expert advisers, with the exception of that relating to the specific responsibilities of the accounting officer, contributes directly or indirectly either to advice given to Ministers or its implementation.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: There have been no such cases within the last 12 months.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that his Department's annual estimates presented to Parliament include funding allocated to non-departmental public bodies.

Yvette Cooper: The Treasury does not, at present, have responsibility for any non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). In the event that this position changes, amounts payable to NDPBs will be included within the next available supply estimate as appropriate.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which  (a) he,  (b) other Ministers in his Department and  (c) his Department's senior officials undertook in 2008.

Ian Pearson: Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the financial year 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 102WS, and for the first time, included details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. Information on overseas travel and subsistence by grade is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. For information on total spending on overseas travel and subsistence by the Treasury in 2007-08, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for St. Albans (Anne Main) on 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1478W. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.

Environment Protection: Expenditure

Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of public spending announced in the fiscal stimulus packages announced since October 2008 has been incurred on green initiatives; and what projects and programmes this spending is for.

Ian Pearson: The pre-Budget report in November 2008 announced a 535 million green stimulus, representing 18 per cent. of the 3 billion capital spending stimulus. The green stimulus includes:
	100 million of new funding for Warm Front, and 50 million brought forward. This will help around 60,000 low income households cut their energy bills through insulation and improved heating systems;
	60 million to provide 16,000 social houses with energy efficiency and heating measures as part of an accelerated Decent Homes programme
	300 million to accelerate the delivery of up to 200 new carriages to expand capacity on the rail network;
	20 million of spending on flood defences, to deliver earlier protection for 27,000 homes; and
	5 million of spending on British Waterways network infrastructure.
	Taken together with the energy efficiency package announced in September 2008, Government have brought forward 1.5 billion of green activity across the public and private sector.

Fred Goodwin

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on which date he was first informed of the pension arrangements put in place by Royal Bank of Scotland in respect of its former chief executive, Sir Fred Goodwin;
	(2)  on which date he first discussed with representatives of Royal Bank of Scotland the pension arrangements that had been put in place in respect of Sir Fred Goodwin.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 9 March 2009
	 The Government were not involved in negotiating and did not give approval to or sign-off Sir Fred Goodwin's pension or the basis of his departure from the company. These matters were determined by members of the board of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Myners, gave Lord Taylor of Warwick on 5 March 2009,  Official Report, columns WA172-73.

Friendly Societies: Accountancy

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to raise the threshold above which friendly societies are required to submit reports on annual accounts.

Ian Pearson: All friendly societies that are insurers are required to appoint auditors who must prepare a report and submit it to the society and the FSA.
	Friendly societies that do not carry out insurance activities are able to be exempt from the audit and accounts requirements in the Friendly Societies Act 1974.
	There is an automatic exemption for the very small, and societies with assets of up to 1.4 million and turnover of up to 350,000 may opt not to report to the FSA. Adoption of this optional exemption must be approved by a vote of members of the society.
	I am not aware that the Government have received any representations from friendly societies on these limits and exemptions, and I understand that most societies provide auditors' reports for purposes of transparency and financial propriety.

Income Tax

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the personal tax allowance to  (a) 7,000 and  (b) 9,000.

Stephen Timms: Estimates of the cost of increasing the personal allowance can be approximated from table 1.6 'Direct effects of illustrative tax changes' on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table1-6.pdf
	The figures exclude any estimate of behavioural response.

Income Tax

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue which would accrue from the introduction of a 30 per cent. rate of income tax for a  (a) 3,000 and  (b) 5,000 income band lower than the threshold for the 40 per cent. rate.

Stephen Timms: The estimated full year revenue yield for 2008-09 of introducing a 30 per cent. rate of income tax on a band of taxable income between 31,800 and the basic rate limit of 34,800 is 1.1 billion, and between 29,800 and 34,800 is 2.0 billion.
	These estimates are based on the 2005-06 Survey of Personal Incomes projected forward using pre-Budget 2008 assumptions. It excludes any estimate of behavioural response and assumes the rate of tax on dividends is unchanged.

Local Income Tax: Scotland

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent by the head of HM Revenue and Customs to the Scottish Executive on the collection of local income tax.

Stephen Timms: I have placed a copy of the letter dated 23 January 2009 from Dave Hartnett (HM Revenue and Customs, permanent secretary for tax) to Sir John Elvidige (permanent secretary, Scottish Executive) in the Library.

Members: Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for the Forest of Dean of 30 January 2009 on Northern Rock mortgages, reference FD8395.

Ian Pearson: Due to the large volume of correspondence received on these issues there has been a delay in sending some responses. The Financial Services Secretary hopes to be in a position to reply to the hon. Member shortly.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare of 27 November 2008 and 5 January 2009 sent on behalf of his constituent Mr. Paul Ritchie.

Ian Pearson: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letter dated 12 January 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. V. Grundry, transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Stephen Timms: I have replied to the right hon. Member.

Public Expenditure

William Hague: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial transfers his Department has made to  (a) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and  (b) the Department for International Development in 2008-09 to fund shortfalls in funding caused by exchange rate movements; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: On 12 February 2009, the Foreign Secretary's written ministerial statement on departmental expenditure limits included an additional 6,500,000 for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for adverse currency fluctuations. The Department for International Development (DFID) pays the vast majority of its development grants in sterling which limits the impact on the Department from exchange fluctuations. DFID has received no additional funds for currency fluctuations.

Public Sector: Termination of Employment

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many personalised settlements have been reached with public sector employees on termination of employment where the settlement required Treasury approval under the Treasury guidance Managing Public Money, Annex 4.13, because the settlement exceeded contractual entitlement in each of the last five years; and what the monetary value of those settlements over and above contractual entitlement was in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Smuggling: Tobacco

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) front line,  (b) investigative and  (c) overseas-based staff of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) were working to prevent tobacco smuggling in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what estimate he has made of the proportion of time staff in each category spent on tackling tobacco smuggling in each of those years; and how much was allocated to HMRC's work on tobacco smuggling in each of those years.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 10 March 2009
	 In many areas of enforcement and compliance activity, HMRC's officers work multi-functionally. So, for example, officers might investigate a criminal gang involved in a range of fraud and smuggling activities, or detect a freight consignment containing both illicit tobacco and prohibited drugs. It is therefore not possible to say precisely how many staff were working on tobacco smuggling in the years specified. However, the following figures are HMRC's best estimate of the full-time equivalents of staff employed on tackling tobacco smuggling in the years between 2005-06 and 2007-08. Figures for 2000-01 to 2004-05 are not available.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Detection 1,407 1,557 1,574 
			 Investigation 319 278 287 
			 Intelligence 279 295 264 
			 Total 2,005 2,130 2,125 
		
	
	The figures for intelligence include the network of overseas fiscal crime liaison officers (FCLOs), who cover around 48 countries. However, the numbers and locations of FCLOs is sensitive information and cannot be disclosed.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many housing transactions to date have been affected by the temporary increase in the stamp duty land tax threshold; and what estimate he has made of the revenue to the Exchequer forgone as a result of the higher threshold.

Ian Pearson: Between the start of the temporary increase in the stamp duty land tax threshold and the end of January it is estimated that 63,000 housing transactions purchased at between 125,000 and 175,000 had their stamp duty land tax bill reduced to nil.
	The estimated exchequer cost of the stamp duty land tax holiday, published in the pre-Budget report, was 280 million.

Valuation Office: Freedom of Information

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what requests have been made to the Valuation Office Agency under the  (a) Freedom of Information Act 2000 and  (b) Environmental Information Regulations 2004 in the last 12 months; and what the (i) case reference number, (ii) nature of information requested and (iii) request outcome was in each case; and, in respect of those cases where the request was denied, what the reason for exemption was.

Stephen Timms: The Valuation Office Agency's 2008 Freedom of Information Act statistics on their requests, including (i), (ii), (iii), with their Environmental Information Regulations request statistics, will be finalised at the end of the current financial year (2008-09) for publication on the Ministry of Justice website. I will place a copy of these statistics in the Library at the same time.

Valuation Office: Rent Service

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 684-85W, on the Valuation Office: Rent Service, and with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 20 November 2008,  Official Report, column 776W, on the Valuation Office: reorganisation, what property attributes and information the Rent Service held prior to its transfer to the Valuation Office Agency.

Stephen Timms: The property attributes and information held by the Rent Service required for the majority of the cases that are subject to a rent officer function includes:
	the type of residential property;
	the number of living rooms;
	the number of bedrooms;
	information on kitchen facilities
	information on bathroom and toilet facilities;
	information on any outbuildings and their use;
	information on the accessibility of statutory services;
	details of the tenancy including:
	the term
	the commencement date
	the rent
	the provision of any services
	the provision of any furniture
	as appropriate, any special terms
	Additionally, the property attributes and information held by the Rent Service required for a minority of the cases that are subject to a rent officer function, in addition to the above, includes:
	the age of the property;
	the size of the accommodation;
	the method of heating;
	the state of repair;
	details of any disrepair attributable to the tenant;
	details of any improvements carried out by the tenant;
	further details of the tenancy:
	a copy of any:
	lease
	agreement
	inventory
	schedule of services
	repairing liabilities
	terms for the treatment of any service charges
	details of any gardens/grounds and their use.

Valuation Office: Rent Service

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 684-85W, on the Valuation Office: Rent Service, and with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 20 November 2008,  Official Report, column 776W, on the Valuation Office: reorganisation, whether property attribute information held by the Rent Service will be utilised by the Valuation Office Agency for council tax valuation purposes.

Stephen Timms: With effect from 1 April 2009, all property attribute information formerly held by the Rent Service will be transferred to the Valuation Office Agency.

Valuation Office: Rightmove

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost to the Valuation Office Agency in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10 of the service provided by Rightmove following the extension of the contract between HM Revenue and Customs and Rightmove.co.uk plc is.

Stephen Timms: Payments to third parties will be published in the Valuation Office Agency's Report and Accounts in due course.

VAT

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the average annual saving to be made by  (a) all households and  (b) working age households without children in each income decile as a result of the reduction in the rate of value added tax to 15 per cent;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the average annual saving to be made by households as a result of the reduction in the rate of value added tax to 15 per cent. where the head of the household was aged  (a) 25 years or under,  (b) 26 to 30,  (c) 31 to 35,  (d) 36 to 40,  (e) 41 to 45,  (f) 46 to 50,  (g) 51 to 55,  (h) 56 to 60,  (i) 61 to 65,  (j) 66 to 70,  (k) 71 to 75,  (l) 76 to 80 and  (m) over 80 years.

Stephen Timms: Table 14 in 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes, 2006-07'
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/elmr/07_08/downloads/ELMR_Jul08_Jones.pdf
	presents information on spending on VAT, on average, accounted for by households in each income decile.
	Household spending patterns vary widely within deciles and household types, so estimates of savings on such a basis should be treated with caution. This is exacerbated by there being greater sampling variability associated with estimates for deciles and groups of given household types due to the relatively small sample sizes.
	Subject to these caveats, the following tables provide estimates of the benefit of the VAT reduction, for all households and for non-retired households without children, by income decile based on figures for average expenditures on VAT published by the ONS in their article 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes, 2006-07'. Figures for average expenditures on VAT by age of the head of the household are not available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The estimates assume the majority of the VAT reduction will be passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices in line with past experience, and that spending patterns remain unchanged.
	
		
			  Decile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income 
			   Saving (percentage of gross income) 
			 Bottom 1.6 
			 2nd 1.1 
			 3rd 1.0 
			 4th 0.9 
			 5th 0.8 
			 6th 0.8 
			 7th 0.8 
			 8th 0.8 
			 9th 0.7 
			 Top 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Decile groups of non-retired households without children ranked by equivalised disposable income 
			   Saving (percentage of gross income) 
			 Bottom 1.6 
			 2nd 1.0 
			 3rd 0.8 
			 4th 0.7 
			 5th 0.7 
			 6th 0.7 
			 7th 0.7 
			 8th 0.6 
			 9th 0.7 
			 Top 0.5

Written Questions: Government Responses

Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer question 248252, on loss of departmental property, tabled on 12 January 2009.

Angela Eagle: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Written Questions: Government Responses

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to answer question 247992 tabled on 12 January 2009, on small businesses; what the reason is for the time taken to reply; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Question 247992 was transferred to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. The hon. Gentleman was notified of the transfer in the usual way.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Allotments

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's policy on the sale for development of allotments is.

Iain Wright: Local authorities are required under section 8 of the Allotments Acts 1925 to obtain consent from the Secretary of State to dispose of statutory allotments. Consent cannot be given unless the Secretary of State is satisfied that certain criteria are met. These criteria are as follows:
	the allotment in question is not necessary and is surplus to requirement;
	adequate alternative provision will be made for displaced plot holders;
	the number of people on the waiting list has been taken into account;
	that the authority have actively promoted and publicised the availability of sites and have consulted the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners; and
	the implications of disposal for other relevant policies, in particular development plan policies, have been taken into account.
	In addition, planning policy guidance note 17 Open Space, Sport and Recreation, requires that existing open space, including allotments should not be built on unless an assessment has been undertaken by the local planning authority which has clearly shown the open space to be surplus to local requirements.

Business Improvement Districts

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what business improvement districts have been established in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The following table shows the BIDs that have been established to date in each local authority area.
	
		
			  BID location  Region  Local authority 
			  Eastern   
			 Bedford Eastern Bedford borough council 
			 Great Yarmouth BID Norfolk Eastern Great Yarmouth borough council 
			 Ipswich BID Suffolk Eastern Ipswich borough council 
			 Royston First Business Improvement Company Eastern Hertfordshire district council 
			
			  East Midlands   
			 Boston BID East Midlands Boston borough council 
			 Daventry First East Midlands Daventry district council 
			 Derby Cathedral Quarter Company Ltd. East Midlands Derby city council 
			 Leicester East Midlands Leicester city council 
			 Nottingham Leisure Bid East Midlands Nottingham city council 
			 Sleaford East Midlands North Kesteven district council 
			
			  London   
			 Garratt Business Park Management Ltd. London London borough of Wandsworth 
			 Kimpton BID London London borough of Sutton 
			 Kingston First Kingston upon Thames Surrey London Royal borough of Kingston upon Thames 
			 Hammersmith-London BID London Hammersmith and Fulham 
			 London Angel Town Centre BID London Islington council 
			 London Leytonstone Town Centre (E11 BID) London Waltham Forest 
			 London Riverside BID Ltd. (Industrial Estate) London LB of Havering 
			 London Argall Industrial BID London Waltham Forest 
			 London Heart of London London Westminster city council 
			 London New West End Company London Westminster city council 
			 London BID London Westminster city council 
			 London The Holborn Partnership BID London London borough of Camden 
			 London Better Bankside London London borough of Southwark 
			 London Bridge BID London London borough of Southwark 
			 London Waterloo Quarter Business Alliance BID London London borough of Lambeth 
			 London Camden Town Unlimited London London borough of Camden 
			 London Ealing Broadway BID London London borough of Ealing 
			 London Hainault Business Partnership BID (Industrial Estate) London London borough of Redbridge 
			
			  South East   
			 Brighton City Centre BID South East Brighton and Hove council 
			 Croydon Surrey South East Croydon council 
			 Reading BID South East Reading borough council 
			 Segensworth Business Forum Ltd. (Industrial Estate) South East Fareham borough council city council 
			 Southern Cross Industrial Estate BID Bognor Regis South East Arun district council 
			 Worthing Town Centre Bid South East Worthing borough council 
			 Winchester Hampshire South East Winchester city council 
			
			  South West   
			 Bristol Broadmead South West Bristol city council 
			 Bristol Cater Business Park BID Industrial Estate South West Bristol city council 
			 Dorchester BID Company South West West Dorset district council 
			 Plymouth BID South West Plymouth city council 
			 Swindon Town Centre BID South West Swindon borough council 
			 Taunton Town Centre BID South West Taunton Deane borough council 
			 Truro Cornwall South West Carrick district council 
			
			  North West   
			 Longhill and Sandgate BID North East Hartlepool borough council 
			 Newcastle City Centre North West Newcastle city council 
			 Teesside Cowpen Industrial Estate North East Stockton and Tees council 
			 Altham Lancashire Industrial Estate North West Hyndburn borough council 
			 Astmoor Industrial Estate North West Halton borough council 
			 Blackburn EDZ BID Industrial Estate North West Blackburn with Darwen borough council 
			 Blackpool Town Centre BID North West Blackpool borough council 
			 Bolton Industrial Estate, Greater Manchester North West Bolton metropolitan borough council 
			 Halebank Industrial Estate, Widnes North West Halton borough council 
			 Keswick BID Cumbria North West Allerdale borough council 
			 Liverpool City Central BID North West Liverpool city council 
			 Oldham BID North West Oldham borough council 
			 Preston North West Preston city council 
			 Winsford 1-5 BID Cheshire North West Vale Royal borough council 
			
			  West Midlands   
			 Birmingham Broad Street BID West Midlands Birmingham city council 
			 Birmingham Retail BID West Midlands Birmingham city council 
			 Birmingham Erdington BID West Midlands Birmingham city council 
			 Cannock Chase BID Industrial Estate Staffordshire West Midlands Cannock Chase DC 
			 Colmore West Midlands Birmingham city council 
			 Coventry 'City Wide' BID West Midlands Coventry city council 
			 Coventry CV One Ltd. West Midlands Coventry city council 
			 Hinckley West Midlands Hinckley and Bosworth borough council 
			 Kings Heath Business Association West Midlands Birmingham city council 
			 Lancing Business Park West Midlands West Sussex county council 
			 Rugby BID West Midlands Rugby borough council 
			 Warwickshire Bayton Industrial Estate BID West Midlands Warwick district council 
			 Leamington Spa Town Centre BID West Midlands Warwick district council 
			 West Bromwich Albion Business Forum West Midlands Sandwell metropolitan borough council 
			
			  Yorkshire and Humberside   
			 Hull BID East Riding of Yorkshire Yorkshire and Humberside Hull city council 
			 SkiptonGateway to the Dales Yorkshire and Humberside Craven district council

Community Development

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 768-9W, on community development, for what reasons her Department decided not to proceed with plans for the establishment of neighbourhood improvement districts.

John Healey: The Government decided not to proceed with neighbourhood improvement districts (NIDs) because there was no hard evidence of demand for them, but clear public concern about council tax levels, and NIDs would have increased burdens on council tax payers. In addition, local authorities, including parish councils, already have powers to provide many of the services that a NID could provide, such as local wardens or neighbourhood managers. The Government have simplified the process for setting up parishes, and have also passed legislation enabling parish councils to be set up in areas that previously could not have them (e.g. London).

Conference Centres: Blackpool

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans her Department has to provide funding for the establishment of a new convention centre in Blackpool.

Sadiq Khan: There are currently no plans to provide funding for the establishment of a new convention centre in Blackpool.

Council Tax

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the merits of utilising the proposed data-sharing provisions in the Coroners and Justice Bill to facilitate data sharing between public authorities for the purpose of collection of local government taxation.

John Healey: No such assessment has been made.

Council Tax

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities submit billing authority reports to the Valuation Office Agency via the Valuebill/e-BAR electronic interface.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1647W to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove).

Council Tax: Discounts

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether central Government grants to local authorities are adjusted to take account of the use by local authorities of discretionary powers to vary the council tax discount on  (a) second and  (b) long-term empty homes.

John Healey: The distribution of formula grant to local authorities in England takes account of the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the authority, together with its relative ability to raise council tax, expressed in terms of the council tax base.
	The calculation of a council's tax base takes into account the band D-equivalent number of second homes and has done so since council tax was introduced in 1993.
	Since 1 April 2004, billing authorities have been able to reduce the council discount for second homes in their area (to between 10 and 50 per cent.). A discount of 50 per cent. has continued to be assumed for all authorities in calculating the tax base for the purposes of distributing formula grant.
	The actual discount applied to long-term empty homes is applied for all authorities in calculating the tax base for the purposes of distributing formula grant.

Council Tax: Discounts

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was raised by reducing the council tax discount on empty properties in each billing authority in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of the revenues were kept by central government in each case.

John Healey: The last year for which analysis is available is 2008-09. I have placed a table of estimates of the amount raised by reducing the council tax discount on empty properties in each billing authority in the Library of the House.
	Council tax revenues are retained by councils. Any reduction in the discount for empty properties is reflected in the council's tax base, which is taken into account in calculating an authority's formula grant.
	
		
			  Additional revenue raised from reductions to the discount on long-term empty homes, 2008-09 
			  Local authority  Additional revenue 
			 Adur 111,632 
			 Allerdale  
			 Alnwick 222,746 
			 Amber Valley  
			 Arun 391,174 
			 Ashfield  
			 Ashford 345,514 
			 Aylesbury Vale  
			 Babergh 270,191 
			 Barking and Dagenham  
			 Barnet  
			 Barnsley 889,763 
			 Barrow-in-Furness  
			 Basildon  
			 Basingstoke and Deane  
			 Bassetlaw 476,947 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 324,368 
			 Bedford 385,435 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed  
			 Bexley 472,441 
			 Birmingham 2,741,128 
			 Blaby  
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA  
			 Blackpool UA  
			 Blyth Valley 174,575 
			 Bolsover  
			 Bolton  
			 Boston  
			 Bournemouth UA 673,433 
			 Bracknell Forest UA  
			 Bradford  
			 Braintree 525,595 
			 Breckland  
			 Brent 575,503 
			 Brentwood  
			 Bridgnorth 170,075 
			 Brighton and Hove 522,956 
			 Bristol  
			 Broadland  
			 Bromley 701,541 
			 Bromsgrove 269,431 
			 Broxbourne 107,085 
			 Broxtowe 314,307 
			 Burnley  
			 Bury  
			 Calderdale  
			 Cambridge  
			 Camden 788,769 
			 Cannock Chase  
			 Canterbury 313,992 
			 Caradon 296,863 
			 Carlisle  
			 Carrick 342,431 
			 Castle Morpeth 152,327 
			 Castle Point 210,976 
			 Charnwood  
			 Chelmsford 334,519 
			 Cheltenham 302,289 
			 Cherwell 213,263 
			 Chester  
			 Chesterfield  
			 Chester-le-Street  
			 Chichester 376,444 
			 Chiltern  
			 Chorley  
			 Christchurch 152,321 
			 City of London  
			 Colchester 380,527 
			 Congleton  
			 Copeland  
			 Corby  
			 Cotswold 223,540 
			 Coventry 661,633 
			 Craven 155,629 
			 Crawley 106,643 
			 Crewe and Nantwich  
			 Croydon 1,142,293 
			 Dacorum  
			 Darlington UA 400,847 
			 Dartford 150,232 
			 Daventry 149,509 
			 Derby UA 742,488 
			 Derbyshire Dales 374,887 
			 Derwentside  
			 Doncaster  
			 Dover 430,701 
			 Dudley  
			 Durham City  
			 Ealing 807,831 
			 Easington  
			 East Cambridgeshire  
			 East Devon 328,654 
			 East Dorset 184,301 
			 East Hampshire  
			 East Hertfordshire 297,220 
			 East Lindsey  
			 East Northamptonshire  
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 1,060,157 
			 East Staffordshire 297,986 
			 Eastbourne 228,019 
			 Eastleigh  
			 Eden 166,739 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 130,592 
			 Elmbridge 435,289 
			 Enfield 1,131,456 
			 Epping Forest 281,978 
			 Epsom and Ewell 191,986 
			 Erewash  
			 Exeter 138,285 
			 Fareham 163,331 
			 Fenland 261,554 
			 Forest Heath 187,953 
			 Forest of Dean  
			 Fylde  
			 Gateshead  
			 Gedling  
			 Gloucester 255,521 
			 Gosport  
			 Gravesham 209,167 
			 Great Yarmouth 203,052 
			 Greenwich  
			 Guildford 486,491 
			 Hackney  
			 Halton UA  
			 Hambleton 295,301 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 534,158 
			 Harborough  
			 Haringey 408,090 
			 Harlow 90,750 
			 Harrogate 594,999 
			 Harrow 229,629 
			 Hart  
			 Hartlepool UA - 
			 Hastings 537,419 
			 Havant 153,893 
			 Havering  
			 Herefordshire UA 442,368 
			 Hertsmere 292,222 
			 High Peak 271,910 
			 Hillingdon 559,731 
			 Hinckley and Bosworth 229,733 
			 Horsham 297,391 
			 Hounslow 62,745 
			 Huntingdonshire (new) 291,636 
			 Hyndburn  
			 Ipswich 453,792 
			 Isle of Wight UA 566,238 
			 Isles of Scilly  
			 Islington 768,645 
			 Kennet 166,030 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 794,622 
			 Kerrier 293,449 
			 Kettering 249,310 
			 Kings Lynn and West Norfolk  
			 Kingston upon Hull UA 996,038 
			 Kingston upon Thames 659,032 
			 Kirklees 1,860,241 
			 Knowsley  
			 Lambeth 999,111 
			 Lancaster 770 
			 Leeds 2,240,301 
			 Leicester UA 1,207,459 
			 Lewes 207,918 
			 Lewisham 289,215 
			 Lichfield  
			 Lincoln  
			 Liverpool 3,498,003 
			 Luton UA 425,855 
			 Macclesfield  
			 Maidstone 357,837 
			 Maldon 219,167 
			 Malvern Hills (new) 231,442 
			 Manchester  
			 Mansfield  
			 Medway Towns UA 814,232 
			 Melton 124,438 
			 Mendip 218,852 
			 Merton 229,846 
			 Mid Bedfordshire  
			 Mid Devon 189,168 
			 Mid Suffolk 254,621 
			 Mid Sussex 297,584 
			 Middlesbrough UA  
			 Milton Keynes UA 348,557 
			 Mole Valley 191,415 
			 New Forest 341,163 
			 Newark and Sherwood  
			 Newcastle upon Tyne  
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme  
			 Newham 1,019,423 
			 North Cornwall 364,899 
			 North Devon 255,812 
			 North Dorset 155,621 
			 North East Derbyshire  
			 North East Lincolnshire UA 523,846 
			 North Hertfordshire 298,787 
			 North Kesteven  
			 North Lincolnshire UA 466,201 
			 North Norfolk 469,891 
			 North Shropshire  
			 North Somerset UA 14,184 
			 North Tyneside  
			 North Warwickshire  
			 North West Leicestershire 281,798 
			 North Wiltshire 274,772 
			 Northampton  
			 Norwich 246,305 
			 Nottingham City UA 1,268,803 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth  
			 Oadby and Wigston 130,214 
			 Oldham  
			 Oswestry 106,624 
			 Oxford 435,358 
			 Pendle  
			 Penwith 180,589 
			 Peterborough UA 299,403 
			 Plymouth UA 489,397 
			 Poole UA 374,906 
			 Portsmouth UA 451,359 
			 Preston  
			 Purbeck 33,508 
			 Reading UA 435,198 
			 Redbridge 965,160 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA 425,637 
			 Redditch  
			 Reigate and Banstead 136,237 
			 Restormel 186,212 
			 Ribble Valley  
			 Richmond upon Thames 640,791 
			 Richmondshire 236,518 
			 Rochdale  
			 Rochford  
			 Rossendale 334,704 
			 Rother 394,558 
			 Rotherham  
			 Rugby 219,718 
			 Runnymede 246,641 
			 Rushcliffe 406,378 
			 Rushmoor  
			 Rutland UA 139,153 
			 Ryedale 221,958 
			 Salford  
			 Salisbury  
			 Sandwell 1,010,509 
			 Scarborough 494,658 
			 Sedgefield  
			 Sedgemoor 188,975 
			 Sefton 1,758,655 
			 Selby 281,575 
			 Sevenoaks 330,145 
			 Sheffield 1,805,937 
			 Shepway 342,023 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham 195,823 
			 Slough UA 221,133 
			 Solihull  
			 South Bedfordshire  
			 South Bucks 317,616 
			 South Cambridgeshire  
			 South Derbyshire  
			 South Gloucestershire UA 256,332 
			 South Hams 358,411 
			 South Holland 122,075 
			 South Kesteven  
			 South Lakeland  
			 South Norfolk 210,260 
			 South Northamptonshire 207,091 
			 South Oxfordshire 262,932 
			 South Ribble  
			 South Shropshire  
			 South Somerset 454,282 
			 South Staffordshire 243,058 
			 South Tyneside  
			 Southampton UA 455,600 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA 468,931 
			 Southwark 475,880 
			 Spelthorne 240,610 
			 St. Albans 310,544 
			 St. Edmundsbury 133,373 
			 St. Helens 546,628 
			 Stafford  
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 478,139 
			 Stevenage  
			 Stockport  
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA  
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 839,967 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 554,198 
			 Stroud 245,294 
			 Suffolk Coastal 368,811 
			 Sunderland  
			 Surrey Heath  
			 Sutton 593,465 
			 Swale 298,339 
			 Swindon UA 154,013 
			 Tameside  
			 Tamworth  
			 Tandridge  
			 Taunton Deane 184,670 
			 Teesdale  
			 Teignbridge 445,062 
			 Telford and Wrekin UA 200,793 
			 Tendring 585,042 
			 Test Valley  
			 Tewkesbury 172,985 
			 Thanet 721,724 
			 Three Rivers 196,219 
			 Thurrock UA 358,775 
			 Tonbridge and Mailing 143,120 
			 Torbay UA 590,962 
			 Torridge 152,938 
			 Tower Hamlets  
			 Trafford 739,993 
			 Tunbridge Wells 330,140 
			 Tynedale 224,420 
			 Uttlesford 220,631 
			 Vale of White Horse 226,935 
			 Vale Royal  
			 Wakefield  
			 Walsall  
			 Waltham Forest 592,935 
			 Wandsworth 152,681 
			 Wansbeck  
			 Warrington UA  
			 Warwick  
			 Watford 115,137 
			 Waveney 442,751 
			 Waverley 543,499 
			 Wealden 444,811 
			 Wear Valley  
			 Wellingborough 199,040 
			 Welwyn Hatfield  
			 West Berkshire UA 330,293 
			 West Devon 145,858 
			 West Dorset 342,914 
			 West Lancashire  
			 West Lindsey  
			 West Oxfordshire 79,265 
			 West Somerset 188,333 
			 West Wiltshire 221,701 
			 Westminster 749,900 
			 Weymouth and Portland 227,645 
			 Wigan  
			 Winchester  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 385,818 
			 Wirral  
			 Woking  
			 Wokingham UA  
			 Wolverhampton  
			 Worcester 109,125 
			 Worthing 223,247 
			 Wychavon 301,516 
			 Wycombe 399,380 
			 Wyre  
			 Wyre Forest 194,168 
			 York UA 289,330 
			  Notes: These figures are estimates based on information reported by local authorities on the CTB1, CTB1(S) and BR1 forms for 2008-09. All figures are rounded to the nearest pound.

Council Tax: Valuation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic dwellings in England have been assigned the code CL26 in each of the last three years.

John Healey: The number of properties, in England, reviewed and cleared with notification change code CL26 is as follows.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006-07 39,017 
			 2007-08 63,233 
			 2008-09 46,452

Councillors: Allowances

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) regulations and  (b) circulars have been issued on rules relating to councillor (i) allowances and (ii) pensions since May 1997.

John Healey: Since May 1997 the following statutory instruments have been made with regard to local authority members' allowances:
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 1998/556 came into force: 1 April 1998
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1998/557 came into force: 1 April 1998
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 1999/1086 came into force: 30 April 1999
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1999/1087 came into force: 30 April 1999
	The Local Government Act 2000 came into force: 28 July 2001
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2001/1280 came into force: 4 May 2001
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003/1021 came into force: 1 May 2003
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2003/1692 came into force: 31 July 2003
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2004/2596 came into force: 3 November 2004
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 related to pensions as well as allowances.
	No circulars have been issued by the Government on this subject since May 1997.

Councillors: Arun

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1072W, on councillors: Arun, for what reasons Arun was chosen by the Audit Commission to ask councillors for their bank account details.

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 12 March 2009:I
	Your Parliamentary Question on what reasons Arun was chosen by the Audit Commission to ask councillors for their bank account details has been passed to me for reply.
	The Audit Commission confirms that there was no particular or additional request for data relating to Arun Council or its councillors in relation to the National Fraud Initiative and that they have been treated in exactly the same way as all other participants in the National Fraud Initiative.
	One of the key sets of data matched under the National Fraud Initiative is payroll data. For example, by matching payroll data to Housing Benefit claimants' data we can identify potential fraudulent claims or overpayments. All mandatory participants in the National Fraud Initiative (for example, local councils, police authorities, probation boards, fire and rescue authorities, NHS bodies, etc) are required to provide bank account and sort codes in the payroll file submitted to the Audit Commission. The specific (and relatively limited) fields required for the National Fraud Initiative are set out in the published 'data specification'. This requires the payroll data submitted to include all individuals being paid a salary, wage, members' allowance or other remuneration at a particular point in time. It therefore covers all employees, board members and councillors.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

Departmental Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's policy is on holding departmental away days outside her Department's buildings.

Sadiq Khan: Communities and Local Government does not have a formal policy covering the arrangements for holding Departmental away days outside the Department's buildings.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which  (a) she,  (b) other Ministers in her Department and  (c) her Department's senior officials undertook in 2008.

Sadiq Khan: The annual list of overseas travel by Ministers costing over 500 was last published on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 102WS. Details for the financial year 2008-09 will be published in due course. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	Expenditure for senior officials is not held centrally and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. All travel by staff employed by Communities and Local Government is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code.

Eco-Towns

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 769W, on eco-towns, in which publications the Central Office of Information advertorials were placed.

Iain Wright: The advertorials commissioned through the Central Office of Information in respect of the first stage consultation were placed in the following publications:
	Bedford Times  Citizen
	Bicester Advertiser
	Cambridge Evening News
	Cornish Guardian
	Doncaster Free Press
	Eastern Daily Press
	Farnham Herald Series
	Herts  Essex Observer
	Leicester Mercury
	Lichfield Mercury Series
	Louth Leader
	Nottingham Evening Post
	Oxford Mail
	Skegness Standard
	Stratford Upon Avon Herald
	Worthing Herald Group
	Yorkshire Evening Post

Eco-Towns

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions her Department has had with prospective developers of eco-towns on the desirability of alternate weekly collections in eco-town developments.

Margaret Beckett: The desirability of alternate weekly collections is something that promoters and local authorities will want to discuss as part of taking individual proposals forward. In the draft Eco-towns Planning Policy Statement we have set out the standards that eco-town proposals must meet, including for waste. It is for each eco-town proposal to demonstrate how they will achieve the standards.

Eco-Towns: Public Consultation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the consultation process on eco-towns has been extended; and how many consultation responses her Department received prior to the extension.

Margaret Beckett: The second stage eco-towns consultation has been extended to 30 April 2009 in line with an undertaking that I made prior to the recent legal proceedings, which concluded in the Government's favour. This will ensure that the public and all stakeholders will have sufficient time to respond to the consultation and consider all the information that has been published on the policy, including the recently published study on the financial viability of the eco-towns programme.
	Prior to the extension of the consultation we had received a number of consultation responses. We will issue our response to the consultation in due course following the close of the consultation, and this will include a summary of the numbers of responses and comments received.

Empty Property

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the restoration of long-term empty domestic dwellings for active use may be counted as a contribution towards a local authority's new dwellings target.

Iain Wright: The net additional homes target relates to new dwellings and does not include existing properties that have been returned to habitable use.

Energy Performance Certificates

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance has been provided on the location in a building where a display energy certificate should be displayed.

Margaret Beckett: The guidance on Display Energy Certificates (DECs) stipulates that a DEC must be placed in a prominent place clearly visible to the public. It recommends that the certificate should ideally be placed in the reception area, or entrance, of a building or be clearly visible from it.

European Commission: Financial Corrections

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has paid the European Commission in financial corrections since 1997; and what levies for financial corrections were outstanding at the latest date for which figures are available.

John Healey: The Department has paid 24.8 million in financial corrections since 1997. There are no confirmed outstanding levies for financial corrections from the European Commission. We have made provision for a further financial correction relating to audits carried out by the European Commission on the closure of the 1997-99 round of structural funds programmes.

HomeBuy Scheme

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what targets she has set for levels of participation in HomeBuy Direct Schemes; and what timetable she has set for meeting these targets.

Margaret Beckett: No specific participation targets have been set for the HomeBuy Direct scheme.
	The Government are making 400 million available in the remainder of 2008-09 and 2009-10 to help up to 18,000 first time buyers into home ownership through this scheme, but the actual number of transactions (and consequently, the actual amount of expenditure incurred by Government) will depend on take-up by first time buyers.

HomeBuy Scheme

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing transactions have been completed under the Homebuy Direct scheme to date.

Margaret Beckett: The new HomeBuy Direct scheme is in the process of being rolled out. Just under 6,000 HomeBuy Direct properties are now available to purchasers, and further properties will become available very soon. Given that a house purchase typically takes three to six months, no transactions have been completed to date.

Homes and Communities Agency

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government where each regional office of the Homes and Communities Agency is located; and whether each is co-located with the relevant  (a) Government Office for the region and  (b) regional assembly.

Margaret Beckett: A list of HCA regional office location is provided:
	 Ashford
	Kent House
	81 Station Road
	Ashford
	Kent
	TN23 1PP
	 Birmingham
	5 St. Philips Place
	Colmore Row
	Birmingham
	B3 2PW
	 Bracknell
	Atrium Court
	The Ring
	Bracknell
	Berkshire
	RG12 IDF
	 Bristol
	1st Floor
	Aztec Centre
	Aztec West
	Almondsbury
	Bristol
	BS32 4TD
	 Cambridge
	Westbrook Centre
	Block A, Suite 1
	Milton Road
	Cambridge
	CB41YG
	 Croydon
	Leon House
	High Street
	Croydon
	Surrey
	CR91UH
	 Exeter
	Beaufort House
	51 New North Road
	Exeter
	EX4 4EP
	 Gateshead
	St. George's House
	Kingsway
	Team Valley
	Gateshead
	NE11 ONA
	 Leeds
	2nd Floor
	Lateral House
	8 City Walk
	Leeds
	LS11 9AT
	 Leicester
	Attenborough House
	109-119 Charles Street
	Leicester
	LEI 1FQ
	 London Exchange Tower
	10th Floor
	2 Exchange Tower
	Harbour Exchange Square
	London
	E14 9GS
	 Manchester
	4th Floor
	One Piccadilly Gardens
	Manchester
	M1 1RG
	 Milton Keynes
	Central Business Exchange II
	414-428 Midsummer Boulevard
	Central Milton Keynes
	MK9 2EA
	 Nottingham
	The Belgrave Centre
	Stanley Place
	Talbot Street
	Nottingham
	NG15GG
	 Telford
	Jordan House West
	Hall Court
	Hall Park Way
	Telford
	TF3 4NN
	 Warrington
	Arpley House
	110 Birchwood Boulevard
	Birchwood
	Warrington
	WA3 7QH
	 Wolverhampton
	31 Waterloo Road
	Wolverhampton
	WV1 4DJ
	Of the current offices, Leeds, Birmingham and Nottingham are co-located with Government offices. No HCA regional office is co-located with a regional assembly.
	Following the recent merger HCA is at present undertaking a review of the regional accommodation it has inherited, including consulting with staff. Given the current status of the restructuring process it is not possible, at this stage, to specify the future location of HCA regional offices. The yet to be agreed future structure will reflect business need and will unlock as many efficiency savings as possible.

Homes and Communities Agency: Public Relations

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many press, media and communications personnel the Homes and Communities Agency plans to employ.

Margaret Beckett: Given the current status of the HCA's restructuring process it is not possible, at this stage, to specify the number of staff that the HCA will employ in the press, media and communications functions when it is at full complement.
	The HCA currently employ 30 full-time equivalent posts within its communications team which covers a broad range of national and regional functions including marketing, public relations, event management, stakeholder relations, internal communications, and community engagement and digital communications across the locations listed in the answer given today to PQ262682. At present four members of the 30 full-time posts are predominantly involved in press and media relations.
	These figures do not include HCA Academy staff whose job functions include elements of communications. HCA Academy staff were inherited from predecessor bodies and are part of the HCA's current review of its corporate and regional structures.

Housing: Construction

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 107W, on Design for Manufacture Programme, if she will place in the Library a copy of the report commissioned by the Homes and Communities Agency analysing the cost data from the various developers.

Margaret Beckett: The first stage assessment work produced at the beginning of the competition process has been placed in the House Library'Designed for ManufactureLessons learnt'. Research analysing the cost data is ongoing, and is due to be completed during the next financial year. A copy will be placed in the Library upon publication. It will also be made available on the Homes and Communities Agency website.

Joint Waste Authorities: Complaints

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether complaints about  (a) joint waste authorities and  (b) safety camera partnerships fall within the remit of the Local Government Ombudsman.

John Healey: Since 1 April 2008 complaints about the actions of joint waste authorities fall within the remit of the local government ombudsman.
	Complaints about safety camera partnerships do not fall within the local government ombudsman remit, however, where a local authority is part of such a partnership, its actions, including in connection with the work of the partnership, are within the local government ombudsman remit.

Listed Buildings: Energy Performance Certificates

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requirements there are on  (a) listed buildings and  (b) places of worship to (i) obtain and (ii) show a display energy certificate.

Margaret Beckett: A display energy certificate (DEC) is required for listed buildings where they are larger than 1,000m(2 )and are occupied by a public body or by institutions providing public services to a large number of persons. A DEC is not required for places of worship.

LLM Communications

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2064W, on departmental procurement, what type of work was undertaken by LLM Communications to support regional housing debates; which such debates they were engaged to support; and how much was paid to the company for this work.

Iain Wright: LLM Communications were paid 38,200 between 2006 and 2007 to support the delivery of regional housing debates to help raise public awareness of the need for, and benefits of, housing growth; and stimulate debates on the future of house building. The debates involved members of the public, MPs, environmentalists, housing and homelessness experts.

Local Government: Fixed Penalties

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers to levy fines have been conferred on local authorities in the last 18 months.

John Healey: The Government do not hold a central register of powers introduced in the area. Departments are responsible for new legislative proposals affecting local government in those policy area for which they have responsibility. All new legislative proposals will need to go through the parliamentary scrutiny process.

Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding under the local authority business growth incentive scheme has been allocated to each local authority in each of the last four years.

John Healey: I have placed in the Library of the House, a table showing the funding allocations from the local authority business growth incentives (LABGI) scheme to each local authority for each of the financial years 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Local Government

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the latest version of the Handbook for the Joint Negotiating Committee for local authority chief executives.

John Healey: Copies of these agreements are obtainable from the Local Government Employers which, as part of the Joint Negotiating Committee, helps to determine the pay of local authority chief executives.
	http://www.lge.gov.uk/lge/core/page.do?pageId=121908

Local Government Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of local authority funding  (a) including and  (b) excluding direct schools grant will be ring-fenced in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

John Healey: Including Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), the level of ring-fencing of local authority funding is 52.3 per cent. in 2008-09, and will be 50.2 per cent. in 2009-10
	On a comparable basis, if DSG is excluded, the level of ring-fencing of local authority funding is 17.5 per cent. in 2008-09, and will be 14.6 per cent. in 2009-10.

Local Government: Pay

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable she has established to bring forward legislative proposals to require greater public accountability on remuneration for senior staff in local government.

John Healey: I will publish shortly a statutory consultation of 12 weeks to bring about legislative changes which will require greater transparency on remuneration for senior staff in local government.

Local Government: Pay

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the local authority chief executives' pay agreement for  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009.

John Healey: Central Government does not participate in local government pay negotiations. A copy of each agreement can be obtained from the Local Government Employers, which is part of the National Joint Committee which determines the pay agreement for chief executives.

Local Government: Pay

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her policy is on wage inflation among local authority chief executives.

John Healey: A statutory consultation exercise of 12 weeks to bring about legislative changes and requiring greater transparency on remuneration for senior staff in Local Government, including pay, pensions, and severance costs, will be begin shortly.
	The intention is that remuneration for senior staff will be included in annual accounts from 2009-10 onwards.

Local Government: Pay

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what obligations there are on local authorities to publish details of the  (a) salary,  (b) pension and  (c) severance packages of their chief executives.

John Healey: Local Government is currently required to report details relating to salary, pensions and severance for all staff as required by the Code of Practice on Local authority Accounting in the United Kingdom Statement of Recommended Practice by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting.

Local Government: Pensions

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of total accrued liabilities in each fund within the local government pension scheme was represented by total assets; and what the monetary value of the deficit or surplus in each fund was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 946W.

Local Government: Reorganisation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable for unitary restructuring is in each local authority area in which unitary restructuring is being considered by the Boundary Committee.

John Healey: The Secretary of State has extended the deadline for the Boundary Committee to provide advice on unitary proposals in Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk from 13 February to 15 July 2009. The statute provides that the Secretary of State may not make a decision about any unitary proposals put to her before the end of six weeks beginning on the date by which the committee has been requested to provide advice. On this basis, any orders to implement unitary proposals in Devon, Norfolk or Suffolk would be considered by Parliament in the autumn. If the orders are approved, new unitary authorities in these areas may be implemented on 1 April 2010 or, if this date proves to be impractical, on 1 April 2011.

London Thames Gateway Development Corporation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 19 March 2008,  Official Report, column 1215W, on Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee: business interests, on what date consent was given by the Secretary of State for the appointment of Mr. Alan Clark to the planning committee.

Margaret Beckett: My right hon. Friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) approved the appointment of Mr. Alan Clark to the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee on 30 July 2007.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme will become operational; and what estimate she has made of the number of households which will participate in the scheme in 2009-10.

Margaret Beckett: We are currently working with lenders to agree the Master Guarantee for the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme, which we expect to be open for business with the first lenders in April. We will publish a full impact assessment when the Master Guarantee Deed has been finalised.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households have received assistance under the Mortgage Rescue Scheme to date.

Margaret Beckett: The 200 million Government Mortgage Rescue Scheme has been operational across the country since 1 January 2009, following successful 'fast tracking' by 80 local authorities in December 2008. There has been widespread interest in the scheme. An informal telephone survey of 60 local authorities conducted by officials at Communities and Local Government on 18 February 2009 showed that over 500 applications have been made, resulting in approximately 180 cases meeting the eligibility criteria. Formal monitoring arrangements for all local authorities are currently being finalised, and we expect regional data on the number of households receiving assistance under the scheme to be available from April 2009.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 73-6WS, on departmental expenditure limits, what future liabilities under the Homeowner Mortgage Support scheme she expects the non-cash provision to cover.

Margaret Beckett: The non-cash provision for the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme is in respect of any guarantees issued under the scheme in 2008-09. We are currently working with lenders to agree the Master Guarantee for the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme. We expect to be open for business with the first lenders in April, in which case no liabilities will have been entered into in 2008-09 and the non-cash provision will not have been needed. We will publish a full impact assessment when the Master Guarantee Deed has been finalised.

National Policy Statements

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many national policy statements she expects to be published; when each will be published; and what the subject of each will be.

Margaret Beckett: The Department for Communities and Local Government published a Route Map for implementation of the Infrastructure Planning Commission regime, including the current timetable for preparation of National Policy Statements, on its website on 27 January. Copies are also in the House Library.
	Given the complexity of the implementation programme and the need for consultation on, and parliamentary scrutiny or approval for, many aspects of the regime, the timings given may well change. We will keep the Route Map under review and update it if there are significant changes.

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding her Department provided under the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund partnership in each year since 2001-02; and what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of that funding.

John Healey: Neighbourhood Renewal Fund allocations were as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2001-02 200 
			 2002-03 300 
			 2003-04 400 
			 2004-05 450 
			 2005-06 525 
			 2006-07 525 
			 2007-08 525 
		
	
	The Department commissioned an independent evaluative study of Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF), published in November 2008, which examined effectiveness, outcomes and impact. This study confirmed the ways in which NRF contributed to neighbourhood renewal and found the Fund to have provided value for money. It can be found on the Communities website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/nrfimpactsoutcomes

Non-Domestic Rates

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many hereditaments there were on the ratings list in each of the last 24 months in  (a) England and  (b) Wales.

John Healey: The following table details the number of hereditaments within the rating lists for the period 31 January 2007 to 31 December 2008.
	
		
			  2005 rating lists 
			  Number 
			  As at  England  Wales  Total 
			 31 January 2007 1,683,571 101,946 1,785,517 
			 28 February 2007 1,684,647 101,791 1,786,438 
			 31 March 2007 1,686,927 101,939 1,788,866 
			 30 April 2007 1,686,486 101,767 1,788,253 
			 31 May 2007 1,686,741 101,862 1,788,603 
			 30 June 2007 1,687,470 101,921 1,789,391 
			 31 July 2007 1,688,221 102,041 1,790,262 
			 31 August 2007 1,688,558 102,009 1,790,567 
			 30 September 2007 1,689,659 102,121 1,791,780 
			 31 October 2007 1,690,644 102,195 1,792,839 
			 30 November 2007 1,691,452 102,197 1,793,649 
			 31 December 2007 1,692,505 102,308 1,794,813 
			 31 January 2008 1,693,265 102,437 1,795,702 
			 29 February 2008 1,693,810 102,450 1,796,260 
			 31 March 2008 1,694,145 102,521 1,796,666 
			 30 April 2008 1,693,496 102,425 1,795,921 
			 31 May 2008 1,693,214 102,435 1,795,649 
			 30 June 2008 1,693,164 102,436 1,795,600 
			 31 July 2008 1,694,113 102,536 1,796,649 
			 31 August 2008 1,695,211 102,653 1,797,864 
			 30 September 2008 1,697,022 102,839 1,799,861 
			 31 October 2008 1,697,937 102,898 1,800,835 
			 30 November 2008 1,698,789 103,030 1,801,819 
			 31 December 2008 1,698,498 103,127 1,802,844

Non-Domestic Rates

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage change there will be in  (a) national non-domestic rate liability and  (b) government grants to local authorities on average in April 2009.

John Healey: The multiplier used to calculate non-domestic rates liabilities will increase by 5 per cent. from April 2009 but individual authorities' circumstances will vary as a result of the number and value of reliefs granted.
	The percentage change in overall government revenue grants to local authorities (those grants within Gross Aggregate External Finance which is made up of revenue support grant, national non-domestic rates and other specific grants) in England in 2009-10 will be 4.2 per cent.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1277W, on non-domestic rates: business, whether the 2010 rates revaluation will be revenue-neutral  (a) in the first year and  (b) over the five year cycle.

John Healey: At the 2010 revaluation the small business multiplier will be reset to ensure the gross rates yield expected for 1 April 2010 (the first day of the 2010 rating list) will be the same, in real terms, as the gross rates yield expected for 31 March 2010 (the last day of the 2005 rating list). Therefore, the process of introducing new rateable values on 1 April 2010 will be revenue neutral in real terms. Thereafter, the rates yield may vary in the normal way with, for instance, ongoing changes to the rating list.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the percentage change in business rates for  (a) small and  (b) medium and large firms which will take effect in April 2009 in (i) England and (ii) the City of London.

John Healey: The small and standard business rate multipliers set to take effect in April 2009 in (i) England and (ii) the City of London are shown in the following table along with the annual increase in pence and percentage terms.
	
		
			   2008-09  2009-10  Increase (pence)  Percentage increase 
			  England 
			 Small Business Rate Multiplier 45.8 48.1 2.3 5.0 
			 Standard Business Rate Multiplier 46.2 48.5 2.3 5.0 
			  
			  City of London 
			 Small Business Rate Multiplier 46.2 48.5 2.3 5.0 
			 Standard Business Rate Multiplier 46.6 48.9 2.3 4.9

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether an impact assessment has been prepared in relation to the planned increase in levels of business rates from April 2009.

John Healey: Impact Assessments are not required where a predetermined formula, such as the rate of inflation, changes the rate of a tax.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the net rise in aggregate rateable values as a consequence of the new system of rating ports for business rates.

John Healey: The aggregate effect (net increase) of the review of ports in England at 1 April 2005 (from an original starting point of 201 million rateable value) is currently estimated to be around 9.8 million rateable value.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what dates the retrospective bills to ports firms will be issued following the introduction of the new system of rating ports for business rates.

John Healey: There has been no new system of rating applied to ports. The review in ports applied the current system of rates for all non-domestic property to properties in ports which had previously been included in the Port Operator assessment or omitted from the rating list, but which were liable for separate rating.
	Local authorities are responsible for billing and collection of rates from individual businesses. The Non-domestic Rating (Collection and Enforcement) (Local list) Regulations require that demand notices are sent as soon as praticable.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether port operators will receive retrospective refunds as a result of the backdating of lower rateable values.

John Healey: Local authorities are responsible for billing and collection of rates from individual businesses.
	If the ratepayer has made an overpayment in respect of any liability, the local billing authority will make a refund if the rate payer requires, or can create a credit against subsequent liability.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many sub-locations there are in each billing authority in England outside Greater London.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 19 November 2008,  Official Report, column 512W.

Planning Permission

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidelines are available for Ministers in her Department in respect of probity in planning.

Iain Wright: Ministers have the benefit of both the Cabinet Office 'Ministerial Code', which covers general principles regarding the conduct of their official duties, and more specific 'Guidance on Planning Propriety Issues' which is published on the CLG website. The planning propriety guidance is kept under regular review and was last updated in October 2008, mainly to reflect recent changes in arrangements for regional planning. The guidance covers ministerial decision making on all aspects of planning casework, including development plans, called-in planning applications and recovered appeals.

Private Rented Housing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on investment activity in the buy-to-let sector of the abolition of dividend tax credits on pension funds.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The Treasury has made no such assessment. The decision in 1997 to abolish payable dividend tax credits was taken to remove a distortion in the tax system, which had encouraged companies to pay out their profits in dividends, rather than retain them for reinvestment in the business. The measure was part of a wider package of measures designed to improve the climate for long-term investment in the UK.

Private Rented Housing

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the proposed timetable is for implementation of proposals arising from the review of the private rented housing sector.

Iain Wright: Following the publication of the Review of the Private Rented Sector on 23 October last year, we have been meeting with stakeholders and considering how to take forward the ideas raised. We propose to publish our initial response in the spring.

Publicity

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much the Audit Commission has spent on services procured from each of the external public relations and marketing companies included in the Central Office of Information's Public Relations Framework in the last 36 months;
	(2)  how much the Planning Inspectorate has spent on services procured from each of the external public relations and marketing companies included in the Central Office of Information's Public Relations Framework in the last 36 months;
	(3)  how much Ordnance Survey has spent on services procured from each of the external public relations and marketing companies included in the Central Office of Information's Public Relations Framework in the last 36 months;
	(4)  how much  (a) the Housing Corporation,  (b) English Partnerships,  (c) Firebuy and  (d) the Standards Board for England has spent on services procured from each of the external public relations and marketing companies included in the Central Office of Information's public relations framework in the last 36 months.

Sadiq Khan: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.
	Planning Inspectorate, Ordnance Survey, Housing Corporation, English Partnerships, Firebuy and the Standards Board for England have not commissioned any work under the COI Public Relations Framework in the last 36 months.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 12 March 2009:
	 Parliamentary Question on how much the Audit Commission has spent on services procured from each of the external public relations and marketing companies included in the Central Office of Information's Public Relations Framework in the last 36 months.
	Your above Parliamentary Question has been passed to me for reply.
	Over the last 36 months the Audit Commission has spent 325,200 on services procured from the external public relations and marketing companies included in the Central Office of Information's Public Relations Framework. This expenditure was placed with three companies as detailed below:
	
		
			
			 Consolidated Communications 137,700 
			 Geronimo Communications 45,600 
			 Fishburn Hedges (1)141,900 
			 (1) Committed expenditure not yet paid. 
		
	
	A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

Regeneration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer of 15 July 2002,  Official Report, column 63W, on Treasury, how much has been allocated to revive  (a) coalfield communities,  (b) steel communities,  (c) rural communities,  (d) inner-city communities and  (e) seaside towns for the latest period for which figures are available.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 340W.

Regional Assemblies: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding each regional assembly has given to regional health offices in Brussels.

John Healey: Regional assemblies have not provided any funding to regional health offices in Brussels.

Regional Ministers: Official Engagements

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the official engagements of  (a) the Minister for London,  (b) the Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber,  (c) the Minister for the South East,  (d) the Minister for the North West,  (e) the Minister for the East of England,  (f) the Minister for the East Midlands,  (g) the Minister for the South West,  (h) the Minister for the North East and  (i) the Minister for the West Midlands in their roles as Regional Ministers were between 1 February 2009 and 28 February 2009; and how long each spent on each engagement.

Sadiq Khan: I am depositing a table of this information in the Library. Accurate information on the length of time spent on each engagement can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Regional Planning and Development: South East

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, column 643W, on regional planning and development: South East, if she will place in the Library a copy of the submissions from  (a) the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) of 22 October 2008,  (b) Eastleigh borough council of 23 October 2008 and  (c) Eastleigh borough council of June 2006.

Sadiq Khan: The documents requested have now been placed in the Library.

Right To Buy Scheme

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many homes were sold under the provisions of right to buy in England in 2008; and what amount of capital receipts was received from such sales;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the expected amount of capital receipts from sales of homes under right to buy provisions in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010.

Iain Wright: In the financial year 2007-08, there were 11,960 local authority right to buy (RTB) sales in England, with capital receipts of 934 million. There were also an additional 3,150 registered social landlord (RSL) preserved right to buy sales, with capital receipts of 197 million.
	The Department has not estimated the value of receipts arising from RTB sales in 2009 and 2010.

Thames Gateway: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has allocated to the Thames Gateway in each year since 2005-06; and what the projected allocation is in each of the next three years.

Margaret Beckett: The following table sets out the CLG Thames Gateway programme expenditure or budget (excluding non-cash) for each year:
	
		
			  Programme capital and resource (cash only) 
			   million 
			  Financial year  Actual  Budget 
			 2005-06 163  
			 2006-07 121  
			 2007-08 175  
			 2008-09  (1)122 
			 2009-10  (1)174 
			 2010-11  (1)174 
			 2011-12  n/a 
			 (1 )Budgets include Thames Gateway project budget provision now managed by the Homes and Communities Agency on behalf of CLG.  Note: 2011-12 falls outside the CSR period and no budget has therefore been set at this stage.

Valuation Office: Rightmove

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Valuation Office Agency, or HM Revenue and Customs on its behalf, will pay to Rightmove.co.uk plc under the contract as extended in respect of  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

John Healey: Payments to third parties will be published in the Valuation Office Agency's report and accounts in due course.

Waste Disposal

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities  (a) collect on request,  (b) charge for the collection of and  (c) have not established a policy on the collection of clinical waste arising from the management of diabetes.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	DEFRA does not hold the information requested.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many cases the local government ombudsman has ruled upon which relate directly to the issuing of fines by waste collection authorities for breaches of a local authority's waste collection rules in the last 12 months; on what dates such rulings were made; and to which waste collection authorities such rulings related.

John Healey: The local government ombudsman does not have a specific complaint category relating to the issuing of fines by waste collection authorities.